paralyzed
adjective
par·a·lyzed
ˈper-ə-ˌlīzd 
ˈpa-rə-
1
: affected with paralysis
… a viral infection that paralyzed half her face and impaired her balance, hearing, and eyesight …—
Golf
GolfIf 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
Oliver SacksThousands of paralyzed people worldwide are in the socially closed-off state.—Christen Brownlee
Christen Brownlee2
: 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
Kay BoyleThose who uncover plagiarism become paralyzed with embarrassment, letting the culprit escape rather than confronting him.—Walter Kendrick
Walter KendrickExamples 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
Parents reorganizing their lives around a paralyzed son made complete sense to me.
—Coley Gallagher, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Cuba’s sugar industry is nearly paralyzed because there is no diesel for the tractors and trucks needed to harvest and transport cane to the mills.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The other deputy shot Cervantes, leaving him permanently paralyzed.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
That 1952 outbreak killed some 3,000 people and left more than 20,000 paralyzed.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
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Coley Gallagher, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Cuba’s sugar industry is nearly paralyzed because there is no diesel for the tractors and trucks needed to harvest and transport cane to the mills.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The other deputy shot Cervantes, leaving him permanently paralyzed.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
That 1952 outbreak killed some 3,000 people and left more than 20,000 paralyzed.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paralyzed
Cite this Entry
“Paralyzed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyzed. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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