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
The impact, and possibly his movement by deputies after he was taken down, left him paralyzed from the neck down. — Trevor Morgan, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026 One had to undergo emergency surgery to combat a life-threatening infection; the other required a surgeon to reconstruct the left side of her face, which had become paralyzed. — Ella Moore july 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Verb
Clancy then jumped out a window and was paralyzed in the fall. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Lindsay Clancy, who was paralyzed by the injuries from her suicide attempt, was charged with three counts of murder and strangulation in her children’s deaths. — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 July 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
  • Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell found that Wisconsin’s paper-only absentee ballot system violates the rights of disabled voters who cannot complete a paper ballot without assistance.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The judge declined to order elections officials to offer electronic ballots to qualified disabled voters, saying the parties still disputed whether that was a reasonable remedy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of disabled
Adjective
  • And the sport — players in uniform and executives in suits alike — all march toward the cliff in shackles of their own design, seemingly helpless to find a compromise.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The helpless young tailor of twenty-one years of age had a keen nose.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of helpless
Verb
  • The new film takes its cue from a once-promising novelist crippled by writer’s block who reconnects with his estranged college roommate, now a wealthy tech entrepreneur, in hopes of finding inspiration for his next book.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 July 2026
  • The tragic twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 laid bare the dire state of the country’s health system, crippled by years of economic crisis, government mismanagement and the migration of medical workers.
    — Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of crippled
Verb
  • Fig, a dog from Tulare County, disappeared after becoming frightened by fireworks and gunfire during Fourth of July celebrations, according to authorities.
    — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 22 July 2026
  • Fig, an Australian shepherd, ran away from home after getting frightened by July Fourth fireworks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 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
  • Similar to Spokane, the windiest periods will be during the daytime from Friday through Sunday, with weaker winds each night.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The next step came in 2009, when mathematicians Jordan Ellenberg, Akshay Venkatesh and Craig Westerland posted a preprint paper that claimed to prove a weaker version of the conjecture for every prime.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Verb
  • The medical professional also checked the boxes saying Grayson would be incapacitated within six months and his condition was unlikely to improve.
    — Jerry Nowicki, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • The doctor did not, however, deem Grayson medically incapacitated, finding that the cancer does not interfere with his ability to take care of himself in daily life.
    — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026
Definition of incapacitated
Verb
  • Selling meant losing all of that in one signature, and some deep, unspoken part of her was terrified of what came next.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • In a case like the Davis stabbings that terrified a community, there might have been a public outcry if former Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig hadn’t charged Dominguez with murder, Reichel said.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paralyzed

Nglish: Translation of paralyzed for Spanish Speakers

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