paralyzed

adjective

par·​a·​lyzed ˈper-ə-ˌlīzd 

ˈpa-rə-

1

: affected with paralysis

If the right hemisphere of the brain is badly damaged in its sensory (parietal) areas, patients may show … an unawareness that anything is the matter, even though the left side of their body is senseless or paralyzed.

—Oliver Sacks

Thousands of paralyzed people worldwide are in the socially closed-off state.

—Christen Brownlee

2

: rendered incapable of movement or action

I was not found by the teacher until what seemed to me hours later but was probably five minutes, paralyzed with fright.

—Kay Boyle

Those who uncover plagiarism become paralyzed with embarrassment, letting the culprit escape rather than confronting him.

—Walter Kendrick

Synonyms

• paralytic

Examples of paralyzed in a Sentence

special ramps for paralyzed people in wheelchairs

a seemingly paralyzed mayor sat by as the city's crime rate soared

Recent Examples on the Web

After October 7th, people were shocked and stunned and paralyzed and afraid of rockets and trying to figure out where their dead bodies were and whether their kids were dead or captive. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025

The inspirational documentary chronicles the actor's storied rise but mainly focuses on his later life and work championing people with disabilities and spinal-cord injuries after a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024

But Musk scored victories by launching and catching a SpaceX rocket and implanting the first Neuralink chip into a paralyzed patient’s brain. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024

James’ novella concerns a self-fulfilling prophecy about a paralyzed existence ending tragically with a protagonist realizing he’s wasted his life away due to fear of the unknown. —Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1