paralyse
Britishverb
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pathol to affect with paralysis
-
med to render (a part of the body) insensitive to pain, touch, etc, esp by injection of an anaesthetic
-
to make immobile; transfix
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 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
"Permission for jamming and spoofing, permission to shoot lasers at an airport -- everything that you don't really want at airports because it would paralyse operations -- we have here," Suelberg said.
From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025
"Are we supposed to paralyse the state even more?" said lawmaker Bilal Abdallah after the vote.
From Reuters • Apr. 18, 2023
"Don't let the fear paralyse you," Chief Finner said in his appeal.
From BBC • Dec. 2, 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
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.
