adjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of paralysis
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afflicted with or subject to paralysis
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informal very drunk
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of paralytic
1300–50; Middle English paralitik < Latin paralyticus < Greek paralytikós, equivalent to paraly- ( see paralysis) + -tikos -tic
Vocabulary lists containing paralytic
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.
Since 1903, 582 total cases — including 39 deaths — have been attributed to paralytic shellfish poisoning in California.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025
“Every paralytic polio case means there are hundreds of children who are silently affected by poliovirus and are potentially carrying and spreading it throughout their communities,” she added.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2024
There is no antidote to paralytic shellfish poisoning, but treatment involves supportive care and, if necessary, respiratory support.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2024
"We find paralytic shellfish toxins in our shellfish pretty much year-round at this point."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 21, 2024
I said I knew a man in Paris—a very wealthy paralytic, I said—who would pay M. Yoshoto any price at all for the picture.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
