paralyze

verb

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

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 uncertainty …—Evelyn Whitehead
4
: stun, stupefy
I would paralyze the empire with the news!—Rudyard Kipling
5
: to bring to an end : prevent, destroy
… deadlock paralyzed action.—F. A. Ogg and Harold Zink
paralyzation
ˌper-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
noun
paralyzer
ˈper-ə-ˌlī-zər How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
ˈpa-rə-
noun
paralyzingly
ˈper-ə-ˌlī-ziŋ-lē How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
ˈpa-rə
adverb

Synonyms of paralyze

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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.
She is paralyzed from the waist down after a suicide attempt following killing her children. — Carmel Wroth, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 Now paralyzed from a suicide attempt, the 36-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Neuralink has implanted wireless chips in the brains of roughly a dozen people, enabling patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries to control computers with their thoughts. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 Adding insult to injury, the defections came even as GOP hard-liners were ready to paralyze the House over an unrelated dispute with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on funding the government. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026 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

Rhymes for paralyze

See All Rhymes for paralyze

Browse Nearby Words

paralyzation
paralyze
paralyzed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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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
ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing
: to affect with paralysis
paralyzation noun
or British paralysation
ˌpar-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
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