paralysis

noun

pə-ˈra-lə-səs How to pronounce paralysis (audio)
Definition of paralysisnext
as in disability
complete or partial loss of physical function (as motion or sensation) in a part of the body the car accident left one athlete with paralysis from the waist down

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of paralysis For years, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have promised to help people with severe paralysis communicate. — Shannon Cuthrell, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Aug. 2026 Her family told News Channel 5 that they are focused on her recovery and getting answers about whether any of the damage that caused her paralysis can be reversed. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 Skin tints, blurring balms, four kinds of lip liner—amid an increasing bevy of products to choose between, choice paralysis begs the question of what a makeup routine actually requires. — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026 Askew, a member of the Gorilla Stone Nation gang, was rushed to Jamaica Medical Center suffering paralysis from the waist down. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paralysis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralysis
  1. disability
  2. impairment
  3. palsy
  4. weakness
Noun
  • Also, the city recently acknowledged the lack of affordable accessible housing for people with disabilities and agreed to identify, build or rehab 2,800 units to meet accessibility standards.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Only 7% cover accommodations for mobility limitation, hearing disability, vision impairment and sensory disabilities.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of disability
Noun
  • Hormone therapy should not be prescribed specifically as a treatment for cognitive impairment or as a way to prevent dementia, Rozenfeld says.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Geriatric ERs also try to counter sensory impairment, another contributor to delirium, by distributing reading glasses and sound-amplifying devices.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of impairment
Noun
  • Other Live personalities have also opened up about various health occurrences this year, with the show’s longtime emcee and resident DJ, Déjà Vu, revealing in April that she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which causes facial paralysis.
    — Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026
  • Back in 2024, Embiid battled the Knicks in a first-round playoff series months after left knee surgery and dealt with Bell’s palsy.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Definition of palsy
Noun
  • If a bear market arrives shortly after retirement, a cash reserve can allow a family to meet expenses without immediately selling long-term investments into weakness.
    — Steve Booren, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
  • To be sure, efforts to prop up the yen were seen as short-term measures to address the symptoms rather than the root causes of the currency’s weakness.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakness

Browse Nearby Words

parallels
paralysis
paralytic
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Cite this Entry

“Paralysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralysis. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paralysis

Nglish: Translation of paralysis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paralysis

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