paralyze

verb

par·​a·​lyze ˈper-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
ˈpa-rə-
paralyzed; paralyzing

transitive verb

1
: to affect with paralysis
The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.
2
: to make powerless or ineffective
A strike would paralyze the industry.
3
: unnerve
the paralyzing thing is the uncertaintyEvelyn Whitehead
4
: stun, stupefy
I would paralyze the empire with the news!Rudyard Kipling
5
: to bring to an end : prevent, destroy
deadlock paralyzed actionF. A. Ogg & Harold Zink
paralyzation noun
paralyzer noun
paralyzingly adverb

Examples of paralyze in a Sentence

The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse. The air strikes have paralyzed the city's transportation system. The company was paralyzed by debt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its venom, potent enough to kill an elephant, is a cocktail of neurotoxins that can paralyze muscles and shut down vital systems in a matter of hours. Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 Travel was paralyzed along the Interstate 10 corridor with portions already receiving widespread snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches. Karina Tsui, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025 Some reports suggested that the aircraft was struck by Moscow's Pantsir-S air defense system mid-flight and that electronic warfare systems paralyzed the aircraft's communications. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 The horror is truly unfathomable; at press time there were 24 people killed, 23 unaccounted for, 150,000 people forced to evacuate and countless homes that burned to ash as whipping winds carried embers across acres of land, polluting the air and paralyzing the city. Charlotte Triggs, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for paralyze 

Word History

Etymology

French paralyser, back-formation from paralysie paralysis, from Latin paralysis

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paralyze was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near paralyze

Cite this Entry

“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

paralyze

verb
par·​a·​lyze ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
paralyzed; paralyzing
1
: to affect with paralysis
2
: to make powerless or unable to act, function, or move

Medical Definition

paralyze

transitive verb
par·​a·​lyze
variants or British paralyse
paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing
: to affect with paralysis
paralyzation noun
or British paralysation

More from Merriam-Webster on paralyze

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