Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for paralyse. Search instead for paralysed.

paralyse

British  
/ ˈpærəˌlaɪz /

verb

  1. pathol to affect with paralysis

  2. med to render (a part of the body) insensitive to pain, touch, etc, esp by injection of an anaesthetic

  3. to make immobile; transfix

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • paralysation noun
  • paralyser noun

Etymology

Origin of paralyse

C19: from French paralyser, from paralysie paralysis

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.

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday found Yoon guilty of leading an insurrection in December 2024 designed to "paralyse" the National Assembly.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

"The court finds that the intention was to paralyse the assembly for a considerable period," Ji told the Seoul Central District Court.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

"Don't let the fear paralyse you," Chief Finner said in his appeal.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2022

In 2014, the WHO declared the resurgence of polio to be a public health emergency of international concern, and the label still applies to the disease that can paralyse and kill children.

From Reuters • Jun. 23, 2022

Again the poor man groaned; he looked as if he dared not move; fear, either of death or of something else, appeared almost to paralyse him.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë