catatonic
adjective
cat·a·ton·ic
ˌka-tə-ˈtä-nik 
1
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected with catatonia
catatonic schizophrenia
2
: characterized by a marked lack of movement, activity, or expression
tourists who were almost catatonic at finding themselves in their hero's presence—
Neil Hickey
Neil Hickey
catatonic
noun
Synonyms
Examples of catatonic in a Sentence
a catatonic stare was all that the neglected resident of the nursing home seemed capable of
Recent Examples on the Web
Netto and Schindler take pains to point out the irony of Iris’ predicament: Iris has emerged from the emotionally catatonic state that she’s been in since the day of her son’s accident… just to wind up in a physically catatonic state at the site of her son’s accident.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
But Folie à Deux uses Arthur’s catatonic depression to emphasize what his path to stardom really was: a killing spree that landed him in jail and well on his way to being executed by the state.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 4 Oct. 2024
The brevity is, of course, a function of Joe Biden’s catatonic debate performance, ensuing Democratic panic and the president’s overnight replacement in the shank of summer by his vice presidential understudy, Kamala Harris.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024
Another is that Mabel may have bipolar disorder, switching between knee-slapping manic mode and catatonic depression, although such mental illnesses weren’t well-diagnosed back then.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catatonic 
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
But Folie à Deux uses Arthur’s catatonic depression to emphasize what his path to stardom really was: a killing spree that landed him in jail and well on his way to being executed by the state.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 4 Oct. 2024
The brevity is, of course, a function of Joe Biden’s catatonic debate performance, ensuing Democratic panic and the president’s overnight replacement in the shank of summer by his vice presidential understudy, Kamala Harris.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024
Another is that Mabel may have bipolar disorder, switching between knee-slapping manic mode and catatonic depression, although such mental illnesses weren’t well-diagnosed back then.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for catatonic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catatonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near catatonic
Cite this Entry
“Catatonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catatonic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
catatonic
1 of 2 adjective
cata·ton·ic
ˌkat-ə-ˈtän-ik
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected with catatonia
catatonic schizophrenia
catatonic rigidity
catatonic patients
catatonic
2 of 2 noun
: a catatonic individual
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