adjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of paralysis
-
afflicted with or subject to paralysis
-
informal very drunk
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonparalytic adjective
- paralytically adverb
- postparalytic adjective
- semiparalytic noun
- subparalytic adjective
Etymology
Origin of paralytic
1300–50; Middle English paralitik < Latin paralyticus < Greek paralytikós, equivalent to paraly- ( 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.
Early symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning include tingling of the lips and tongue that could start anywhere from a few minutes to hours after eating toxic shellfish.
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
"We find paralytic shellfish toxins in our shellfish pretty much year-round at this point."
From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2024
There’s all sorts of interpretations about what actually happens after the paralytic.
From Slate • Feb. 1, 2024
Lanning clicked on communications with an almost paralytic spasm.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
