catatonic

American  

[kat-uh-ton-ik] / ˌkæt əˈtɒn ɪk /

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.

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noun

1. a person having or experiencing catatonia.

Other Word Forms

• catatonically adverb

Etymology

Origin of catatonic

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

Explanation

Use the adjective catatonic to describe someone who is in an unresponsive stupor, as if suffering from a mental disorder. Sometimes in the summer it gets so hot that people lose all their energy and get catatonic. Catatonic can also be used to describe something that is related to psychiatric problems. Catatonic schizophrenia, for example, has symptoms that can include physical immobility, unresponsiveness, or strange movements. The weird thing about the word catatonic is that it can either mean not moving at all or moving in a frenzy — or it can mean having totally rigid muscles or having totally relaxed muscles.

Example Sentences

"This experience has left Morrissey in a catatonic state."

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

And besides, as David Hill of Rolling Stone notes, American sports—which naturally lend themselves to micro-betting with their long pauses and occasionally catatonic pace—were founded to enable wagering.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

“I went into a catatonic stage and had a nervous breakdown,” Mercredi wrote in her 2021 book, “Sacred Bundles Unborn.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 12, 2023

“I became almost catatonic in the Philippines. I could think of no reason to do anything.”

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

The twins were near catatonic when the server finally brought the check, pausing momentarily as if he had just realized they were a table full of kids.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss