paralyze
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to affect with paralysis.
-
to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.
The strike paralyzed communications.
Related Words
See shock 1.
Other Word Forms
- paralyzant adjective
- paralyzation noun
- paralyzer noun
- paralyzingly adverb
- semiparalyzed adjective
- unparalyzed adjective
Etymology
Origin of paralyze
First recorded in 1795–1805; back formation from paralysis, modeled on analyze
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.
Carol wants to save humanity, yet her angry outbursts can paralyze the entire planet with pain.
Their paralyzing fear of Carol’s ire is empowering, pathetic and hilarious.
From Los Angeles Times
Everything seems paralyzed, as if we’re all waiting for the next shoe to drop.
From Salon
Even if the U.S. doesn’t regularly seize more tankers, the threat has already paralyzed tanker traffic in and out of Venezuela.
“The market’s going to focus more on the underlying earnings and corporate fundamentals within small caps, and thus they probably won’t be as paralyzed by the bond market.”
From MarketWatch
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.
