paralyse
Britishverb
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pathol to affect with paralysis
-
med to render (a part of the body) insensitive to pain, touch, etc, esp by injection of an anaesthetic
-
to make immobile; transfix
Other Word Forms
- paralysation noun
- paralyser noun
Etymology
Origin of paralyse
C19: from French paralyser, from paralysie paralysis
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.
"The court finds that the intention was to paralyse the assembly for a considerable period," Ji told the Seoul Central District Court.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
"Permission for jamming and spoofing, permission to shoot lasers at an airport -- everything that you don't really want at airports because it would paralyse operations -- we have here," Suelberg said.
From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025
"Initially, I wasn't able to leave the house. I was very scared at night. A tiny sound would paralyse me."
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023
The mayor of Canada’s capital has declared a state of emergency as protesters opposed to Covid-19 restrictions continued to paralyse central Ottawa.
From The Guardian • Feb. 7, 2022
Again the poor man groaned; he looked as if he dared not move; fear, either of death or of something else, appeared almost to paralyse him.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
