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

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

Synonyms of paralyzed

• disabled
• paralytic

Examples 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

The economy has been almost paralyzed for well over a year. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026

The 16th annual event benefits The Cruisey Baby Initiative, a nonprofit created by indefatigable local artist Cruise Bogle, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2008 (at age 19) that left him paralyzed from the neck down. —Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026

Her mother-in-law stopped eating and later became paralyzed. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026

Each cell is stocked with paralyzed tree crickets, katydids and other orthoptera insects. —Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for paralyzed

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