paralyzed
adjective
par·a·lyzed
ˈper-ə-ˌlīzd 
ˈpa-rə-
1
: affected with paralysis
… a viral infection that paralyzed half her face and impaired her balance, hearing, and eyesight …—
Golf
GolfIf the right hemisphere of the brain is badly damaged in its sensory (parietal) areas, patients may show … an unawareness that anything is the matter, even though the left side of their body is senseless or paralyzed.—Oliver Sacks
Oliver SacksThousands of paralyzed people worldwide are in the socially closed-off state.—Christen Brownlee
Christen Brownlee2
: rendered incapable of movement or action
I was not found by the teacher until what seemed to me hours later but was probably five minutes, paralyzed with fright.—Kay Boyle
Kay BoyleThose who uncover plagiarism become paralyzed with embarrassment, letting the culprit escape rather than confronting him.—Walter Kendrick
Walter KendrickExamples of paralyzed in a Sentence
special ramps for paralyzed people in wheelchairs
a seemingly paralyzed mayor sat by as the city's crime rate soared
Recent Examples on the Web
Without herd immunity to protect him, a 20-year-old unvaccinated man became paralyzed.
—Jon Lapook, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Three of the teenagers suffered serious injuries; Cabey was left paralyzed.
—Michael Bobelian, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2026
As the years went on, many challenges were increasingly viewed with derision, including a photo shoot in which contestants were made up to be different races and another in which a contestant whose mother had been shot and paralyzed was made to pose as a gunshot victim.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The film, which follows a newly paralyzed DJ (Thorton) who becomes involved in the world of faith healing, won the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jon Lapook, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
Three of the teenagers suffered serious injuries; Cabey was left paralyzed.
—Michael Bobelian, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2026
As the years went on, many challenges were increasingly viewed with derision, including a photo shoot in which contestants were made up to be different races and another in which a contestant whose mother had been shot and paralyzed was made to pose as a gunshot victim.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The film, which follows a newly paralyzed DJ (Thorton) who becomes involved in the world of faith healing, won the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyzed. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
