paralyzed 1 of 2

adjective

ˈper-ə-ˌlīzd How to pronounce paralyzed (audio)
Definition of paralyzednext
1
as in disabled
affected with paralysis special ramps for paralyzed people in wheelchairs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose a seemingly paralyzed mayor sat by as the city's crime rate soared

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paralyzed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of paralyze
1
as in crippled
to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move a blizzard paralyzed the city for two days

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2
as in frightened
to deprive of courage or confidence the school board is paralyzed by the threat of lawsuits for just about everything

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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 paralyzed
Adjective
His Neuralink brain-chip startup may let the paralyzed walk again. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 22 June 2026 McConnell has always appeared to have a somewhat unsteady gate — a childhood bout of polio left him with a partially paralyzed leg. — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 14 June 2026
Verb
The artisanal-fishing industry had been all but paralyzed by high gas prices since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; a large number of vessels were anchored close to shore. — Will Freeman, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 The 11-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive spinal tumor at the age of three and is paralyzed from the waist down. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paralyzed
  1. disabled
  2. helpless
  3. crippled
  4. frightened
  5. paralytic
  6. weak
  7. incapacitated
  8. terrified
Adjective
  • Multiple disabled riders spoke with the panel and complained about inadequate warnings.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • After surviving a career-ending stroke, the former officer founded The Wounded Blue, the nation's only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to injured and disabled law enforcement officers.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of disabled
Adjective
  • Bernstein plays with that distance like a telephone cord wrapped around her fingers, and Eleni — played by the excellent newcomer Cemre Paksoy, powerfully helpless — only frays even more as the receiver is brought near the hook.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
  • The leading interpretation is that Smilodon delivered a single precise bite to the throat or belly, severing something vital in a target that was already helpless.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • Data loss via staff cuts Widespread staff cuts starting in early 2025 across the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the CDC, crippled much of the agency’s data collection and dissemination.
    — John Kubale, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • In the nation’s gravest hour, the country’s authoritarian regime has crippled an effective response, say survivors, rescue workers and former officials.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
Definition of crippled
Verb
  • At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Assuming that the account in her journal is true, her father goes out and drinks himself into a ‘paralytic’ state.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
  • He was injected with the three-drug mix of an anesthetic, a paralytic and potassium acetate, which stops the heart.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of paralytic
Adjective
  • Still, the opposite tack—sanctions and isolation—has neither made the Iranian regime weaker nor made its behavior better.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • And it should never be used to paper over weak management, chronic overload, or unresolved conflict.
    — Rick Tollakson, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • There's an apocryphal story about its creations; supposedly Kryptonite was invented so Superman's voice actor Bud Collyer could take vacations while the Man of Steel was incapacitated.
    — James Grebey, Time, 26 June 2026
  • Airbus UpNext's DragonFly project is developing AI that manages complex emergencies autonomously when the crew is incapacitated.
    — Tanya Eves, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of incapacitated
Verb
  • Sebastian Krautz went viral on NBC10 Boston this week after admitting he was initially terrified to travel to the United States because of news about crime and safety.
    — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026
  • The old him would have been terrified of going onstage, a public humiliation waiting to happen.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of terrified

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Cite this Entry

“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paralyzed. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paralyzed

Nglish: Translation of paralyzed for Spanish Speakers

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