paralyze

[ par-uh-lahyz ]
See synonyms for: paralyzeparalyzedparalyzing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),par·a·lyzed, par·a·lyz·ing.
  1. to affect with paralysis.

  2. to bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act: The strike paralyzed communications.

Origin of paralyze

1
First recorded in 1795–1805; back formation from paralysis, modeled on analyze
  • Also especially British, par·a·lyse .

synonym study For paralyze

2. See shock1.

Other words from paralyze

  • par·a·ly·zant, adjective, noun
  • par·a·ly·za·tion, noun
  • par·a·lyz·er, noun
  • par·a·lyz·ing·ly, adverb
  • sem·i·par·a·lyzed, adjective
  • un·par·a·lyzed, adjective

Words Nearby paralyze

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use paralyze in a sentence