paralyze

especially British, par·a·lyse

[par-uh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

paralyzed, paralyzing 

1. to affect with paralysis.

2. to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.

   The strike paralyzed communications.

Other Word Forms

• paralyzant adjective
• paralyzation noun
• paralyzer noun
• paralyzingly adverb
• semiparalyzed adjective
• unparalyzed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paralyze¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; back formation from paralysis, modeled on analyze

Synonym Study

See shock ¹.

Example Sentences

When she contracted Asian flu, the virus paralyzed her with “a vise cluster of migraines.”

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The warbling never improved, but it was heartening to see someone get over their paralyzing self-consciousness.

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“They will only be afraid of these protests if they last a long time and lots of people participate, paralyzing the country,” said Ákos Hadházy, an independent parliament member from Budapest.

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I am now glutted with information and paralyzed by parameters.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency is helpful, but when its members disagree politically, it is as paralyzed as the rest of the U.N. galaxy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• demolish 
• destroy 
• disable 
• freeze 
• halt 
• incapacitate 
• knock out 
• stun 
• weaken