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
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
Unbeknownst to the couple, their daughter was subject to a terrifying ritual and emerges from her slumber in a catatonic state that quickly turns into a living nightmare for the family.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Again, with a catatonic Johnny Gargano lying by his side, Zayn went off again.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
In Caveat, Isaac (Johnny French) and Olga (Leila Sykes) are both recovering from traumatic events that have left them impaired — him an amnesiac, her intermittently catatonic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
By the 1950s, these three subtypes were known as paranoid, hebephrenic, and catatonic, respectively.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catatonic
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Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Again, with a catatonic Johnny Gargano lying by his side, Zayn went off again.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
In Caveat, Isaac (Johnny French) and Olga (Leila Sykes) are both recovering from traumatic events that have left them impaired — him an amnesiac, her intermittently catatonic.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 1 May 2026
By the 1950s, these three subtypes were known as paranoid, hebephrenic, and catatonic, respectively.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for catatonic
Cite this Entry
“Catatonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catatonic. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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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