paralyzed
adjective
par·a·lyzed
ˈper-ə-ˌlīzd 
ˈpa-rə-
1
: affected with paralysis
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
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
While many workers consider job changes, those who approach transitions strategically have a significant advantage over those who act impulsively or remain paralyzed by uncertainty.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Her son was left paralyzed from the mid-chest down, had to have his left leg amputated at the knee and two thirds of his bowel removed — and almost a month later, is still in the hospital, where he is intubated and fighting an infection.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
An initial report of a paralyzed kitten being thrown down a staircase led police in Northern Ohio to a home where officers reported finding 13 young children living in horrific conditions.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Mullins was left paralyzed and died two years later.
—Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
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Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Her son was left paralyzed from the mid-chest down, had to have his left leg amputated at the knee and two thirds of his bowel removed — and almost a month later, is still in the hospital, where he is intubated and fighting an infection.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
An initial report of a paralyzed kitten being thrown down a staircase led police in Northern Ohio to a home where officers reported finding 13 young children living in horrific conditions.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Mullins was left paralyzed and died two years later.
—Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyzed. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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