Synonyms

paralyze

American

[par-uh-lahyz] / ˈpær əˌlaɪz /

especially British, paralyse

verb (used with object)

to affect with paralysis.
to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.

The strike paralyzed communications.

Synonym Usage

See shock ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of paralyze

First recorded in 1795–1805; back formation from paralysis, modeled on analyze

Explanation

Use the verb paralyze to describe something that makes it impossible to move or function, like a snowstorm that threatens to paralyze a city. Accent the first syllable in paralyze: "PA-ruh-lies." Until 1805, the only way to paralyze someone was physically — the word was used to indicate that a person had lost the ability to move their body, often as a result of an accident of illness. More recently, the definition has widened to include figurative uses like being "paralyzed by fear." It doesn't mean you are literally immobilized — just that you are so scared, it feels that way.

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Vocabulary lists containing paralyze

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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:

paralyze paralyzes paralyzed paralyzing

The Lewiatan Confederation, an NGO representing Polish entrepreneurs, argues the move "could paralyze the labour market".

From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026

Nexperia microchips are leaving China again, easing a shortage of simple but ubiquitous parts that threatened to paralyze the auto industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

Good team, great fans, best ballpark in Southern California – but is an ownership dispute going to paralyze the franchise?

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025

It can feel exhausting to think about what can happen in the next four years, and it’s important that we take a minute to acknowledge these emotions, but we cannot let them paralyze us.

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2024

He felt he was casting a spell on the detested bird of prey that would paralyze its evil force.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

Meanwhile, Salieri’s invisible seething paralyzes him, turning into the punishment he believes God inflicted on him.

From Salon ● May 16, 2026

"The amyloid beta affects muscles and paralyzes the worms," says Sidharth Madhavan, a PhD candidate and lead author on the study.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

The fix here is pretty simple: return to the ophthalmologist’s chair for a “cycloplegic refraction,” which temporarily paralyzes those inner eye muscles so you can get an accurate prescription.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2023

Levamisole paralyzes them, whereas the newly discovered small molecule—dubbed selectivin—kills them outright.

From Science Magazine ● May 25, 2023

It paralyzes me for a moment, but then I continue roving forward.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Join us on a time-travel adventure to the ’90s: If you’ve recently been paralyzed by choice or felt overconnected but underinvested in your friendships, Slate has an antidote for you.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

"Traffic is paralyzed and people don't want to go back to their homes for fear of an aftershock."

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

The root problem, Müller said, is that Germans equate money to safety, and the thought of parting with it leaves people paralyzed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

“Uncertainty has weighed on FX volatility, which is falling,” wrote Société Générale’s veteran foreign exchange strategist Kit Juckes in a Thursday note titled “FX remains paralyzed by binary possibilities.”

From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026

She stands there with her bag, paralyzed and small.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Paz is facing paralyzing country-wide protests and calls for his resignation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Thoughts on love, nature, trauma, aging, nostalgia and philosophy are all valid starting points, and a surfeit of possibilities can be paralyzing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Southern states have struggled to recover from the paralyzing storm, with power outages still affecting more than 115,000 customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Millions of Americans were facing dangerously cold temperatures Monday in the wake of a massive winter storm that whipped snow and ice across the country, knocking out power and paralyzing transportation.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

It’s something all bar and bat mitzvah kids share: a paralyzing fear of making a fool out of yourself in front of everybody you know and quite a few that you don’t.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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