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
Surely there were those in attendance, and those watching, who conjured horrible thoughts of Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley being left permanently paralyzed from the chest down after taking a vicious hit from the Oakland Raiders’ Jack Tatum during a 1978 preseason game.
—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Earlier this year, Neuralink—the world’s most high-profile and well-funded BCI startup—launched a clinical trial to enable paralyzed patients to output verbal thoughts directly as text or speech.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
His Neuralink brain-chip startup may let the paralyzed walk again.
—
The Week Us,
TheWeek,
22 June 2026
The couple first began dating in December of 2017, after meeting at Sheltering Arms rehabilitation facility in Virginia, where Cole had started working out following a 2011 diving accident that had left him paralyzed from the chest down.
—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
22 June 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.
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Earlier this year, Neuralink—the world’s most high-profile and well-funded BCI startup—launched a clinical trial to enable paralyzed patients to output verbal thoughts directly as text or speech.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
His Neuralink brain-chip startup may let the paralyzed walk again.
—
The Week Us,
TheWeek,
22 June 2026
The couple first began dating in December of 2017, after meeting at Sheltering Arms rehabilitation facility in Virginia, where Cole had started working out following a 2011 diving accident that had left him paralyzed from the chest down.
—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
22 June 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 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
