catatonic

[ kat-uh-ton-ik ]

adjective

1. having catatonia, a syndrome characterized by muscular rigidity and mental stupor:

   The schizophrenic remained in a catatonic state.

2. appearing to be in a daze or stupor; unresponsive:

   She had the catatonic expression of an avant-garde model.

noun

1. a person having or experiencing catatonia.

Other Words From

• cat·a·ton·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of catatonic¹

First recorded in 1905–10; cataton(ia) ( def ) + -ic ( def )

Example Sentences

Things were going fair to middling with his candidacy until Biden’s catastrophic, catatonic debate performance in June, which caused a major Democratic freak-out and resulted in his grudging departure from the ticket and endorsement of Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

The brevity is, of course, a function of Joe Biden’s catatonic debate performance, ensuing Democratic panic and the president’s overnight replacement in the shank of summer by his vice presidential understudy, Kamala Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

“Connection makes us feel safe. When we don’t, we engage in dysregulated behavior, like self-injury, which in extreme cases become catatonic.”

From Salon

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, one step away from a catatonic state of unregulated drooling, said he’d vote for Trump again — though his loathing of Trump is public and well known.

From Salon

Richards was standing perfectly still in the dark, seemingly catatonic, wearing a blue polo shirt and sunglasses and holding a knife in his left hand.

From Salon