paralysis
Americannoun
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paralyses
plural
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Pathology.
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a loss or impairment of voluntary movement in a body part, caused by injury or disease of the nerves, brain, or spinal cord.
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a disease characterized by this, especially palsy.
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a state of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.
The strike caused a paralysis of all shipping.
noun
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pathol
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impairment or loss of voluntary muscle function or of sensation ( sensory paralysis ) in a part or area of the body, usually caused by a lesion or disorder of the muscles or the nerves supplying them
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a disease characterized by such impairment or loss; palsy
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cessation or impairment of activity
paralysis of industry by strikes
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of paralysis
before 1150; < Latin < Greek parálysis, equivalent to paraly-, var stem of paralȳ́ein to loosen (i.e., disable) on one side ( para- para- 1 + lȳ́ein to loosen) + -sis -sis; replacing Middle English paralisi ( e ) < Old French < Latin, as above; replacing late Old English paralisin (accusative) < Latin, as above; cf. palsy 1
Compare meaning
How does paralysis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Paralysis is the inability to move part of your body. It's actually fairly common for people to have short periods of paralysis while they sleep. Paralysis is the experience of being paralyzed, or unable to move part or all of your body. There are medical conditions that can cause paralysis. You can also use paralysis to describe the inability to act, like the paralysis of a city during a big snowstorm, or the paralysis of the school play's star, suddenly struck with stage fright.
Vocabulary lists containing paralysis
Out of the Dust
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Behavioral finance has long found that people get analysis paralysis after about 30 options.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
The resulting paralysis is already visible in China’s economic management, where officials have been reluctant to invest or take on risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
A U.S.-based chain of medbed operators called Tesla BioHealing has been flagged by federal regulators for claiming that its “Life Force Energy” treatments can cure stroke paralysis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and terminal cancer.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Roughly half of those who experience one are left with lasting problems such as paralysis or difficulty speaking.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The paralysis spread lower, until it felt like I had a metal rod running the length of my back and into my skull.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
He says there are visible signs that the disease paralyses the sea urchin's spines and tiny feet.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2023
Sometimes these compounds act as deterrents: nicotine, for example, is produced by some plants and paralyses insects, whereas caffeine suppresses their appetite.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 24, 2020
Nothing proved more vividly the maxim that technology renders civilisation fragile than the great traffic paralyses of the late seventies.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2019
There is little that paralyses the average person more than writing a letter of condolence.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 7, 2017
Muscular paralyses, hemiplegic and paraplegic attacks, albuminuria, diarrhoea, and the inflammations of chronic type affecting the thoracic organs may each supervene, and either greatly prolong convalescence or precipitate a fatal issue.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
