paralyze
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to affect with paralysis.
-
to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.
The strike paralyzed communications.
Related Words
See shock 1.
Other Word Forms
- paralyzant adjective
- paralyzation noun
- paralyzer noun
- paralyzingly adverb
- semiparalyzed adjective
- unparalyzed adjective
Etymology
Origin of paralyze
First recorded in 1795–1805; back formation from paralysis, modeled on analyze
Explanation
Use the verb paralyze to describe something that makes it impossible to move or function, like a snowstorm that threatens to paralyze a city. Accent the first syllable in paralyze: "PA-ruh-lies." Until 1805, the only way to paralyze someone was physically — the word was used to indicate that a person had lost the ability to move their body, often as a result of an accident of illness. More recently, the definition has widened to include figurative uses like being "paralyzed by fear." It doesn't mean you are literally immobilized — just that you are so scared, it feels that way.
Vocabulary lists containing paralyze
Schooled
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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List 6
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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 Lewiatan Confederation, an NGO representing Polish entrepreneurs, argues the move "could paralyze the labour market".
From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026
Nexperia microchips are leaving China again, easing a shortage of simple but ubiquitous parts that threatened to paralyze the auto industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
Good team, great fans, best ballpark in Southern California – but is an ownership dispute going to paralyze the franchise?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2025
The treatment uses a combination of suction and heat to destroy the sweat glands, rather than just paralyze them.
From Slate • Aug. 27, 2024
So why did that thought paralyze me with fear?
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
