dead leg

British

noun

informal temporary loss of sensation in the leg, caused by a blow to a muscle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

But Newcastle expect Joelinton to return from a groin injury imminently while the club hope Lewis Miley will not be sidelined for too long with a dead leg.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Fortunately his star senior All-American said it was just a dead leg.

From Washington Times • Nov. 14, 2019

World record signing Pogba lasted only half an hour after suffering what appeared to be a dead leg.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2016

The centre, Gordon D'Arcy, suffered a dead leg during the game and was replaced, but is also expected to return to training later this week.

From The Guardian • Feb. 4, 2013

Taking what might have been measured as a halting half step and then pulling a stiff, dead leg forward, dragging a foot turned sideways in the dust, the man limped into the yard.

From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023