paralyzed

1 of 2

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

If 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

Thousands of paralyzed people worldwide are in the socially closed-off state.

—Christen Brownlee

2

: 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

Those who uncover plagiarism become paralyzed with embarrassment, letting the culprit escape rather than confronting him.

—Walter Kendrick

paralyzed

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of paralyze

Synonyms of paralyzed

Adjective

• disabled
• paralytic

Examples of paralyzed in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

The injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

But Congress appears paralyzed and its leaders unfamiliar with what they’re supposed to be regulating. — Matt Post, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026

During the hearing, Reddington also raised concerns about the prosecution’s case and the police investigation launched after Clancy was found in the backyard suffering from injuries that left her paralyzed. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, played by Johnson, who is hired to ghostwrite author Verity Crawford’s, played by Hathaway, book following an accident that leaves her paralyzed. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for paralyzed

• acclimatized
• aerosolized
• alphabetized
• aluminized
• anaesthetized
• anesthetized
• annualized
• antagonized
• apologised
• apologized
• capitalised
• capitalized