paralyze

paralyze — verb

1. to damage someone's nerves or muscles so badly that they can no longer move part

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to damage someone's nerves or muscles so badly that they can no longer move part of their body, or any of it.

Example

The car crash paralyzed Mr. Chen from the waist down.

passive scene-setter: paralyzed from [body part] down

A bite from this small spider can paralyze a healthy adult within minutes.

subject is venom or bite causing motor loss

Common collocations
  • paralyze from the waist down
  • paralyze the legs
  • paralyze the muscles
  • permanently paralyzed
  • partially paralyzed
Synonyms
  • immobilize

    more neutral; can mean tie down or hold still without nerve damage

  • cripple

    older and now often considered offensive when used about people

  • numb

    lighter — only loss of feeling, not necessarily loss of movement

Antonyms
  • revive

    bring back movement or life

  • heal

    restore the body so movement returns

Grammar Patterns

paralyze + body part / person

be paralyzed from [body part] down

Usage Note

Frequently passive, especially with 'from the waist/neck down' or 'in both legs/arms'. Subject in active use is typically an injury, disease, drug, or animal venom rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

The accident paralyzed his arm broken.
The accident paralyzed his arm.
'paralyze' already means the limb cannot move, so don't add 'broken' or 'hurt' afterwards.
She paralyzed after the fall.
She was paralyzed after the fall.
when a person is the subject, use the passive 'be paralyzed', because the person did not do the action to themselves.

2. to stop a place, organization, or activity from working normally, or to make a p

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to stop a place, organization, or activity from working normally, or to make a person so frightened or shocked that they cannot act or decide — for example, a strike that halts trains, or fear that freezes a speaker on stage.

Example

Heavy snow paralyzed the city of Sapporo for nearly three days.

subject is a disruptive event halting a place

The bus drivers' strike has paralyzed public transport across Manila.

collocation: paralyze public transport / industry

Common collocations
  • paralyze the economy
  • paralyze public transport
  • paralyze the city
  • paralyzed by fear
  • paralyzed by indecision
Synonyms
  • cripple

    similar civic or business sense; suggests lasting damage

  • halt

    neutral and temporary; no sense of helplessness

  • freeze

    informal; good for the emotional 'cannot move' sense

  • incapacitate

    formal; emphasises being unable to function

Antonyms
  • mobilize

    get a group or system moving and active again

  • energize

    restore energy and activity, especially to people

Grammar Patterns

paralyze + city / industry / system

be paralyzed by [event/emotion]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is a system, place, organization, or person's decision-making, not their body. Often passive with 'by' to name the cause (fear, indecision, strike, attack).

Common Mistakes

The traffic was paralyzed his leg.
The traffic was paralyzed by the protest.
sense 2 takes a system or place as object, not a body part; use sense 1 for body parts.
Fear paralyzed to speak.
Fear paralyzed her, and she could not speak.
'paralyze' takes a direct object (a person or thing), not a to-infinitive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All five describe stopping activity, but they differ in scope and feel. 'Paralyze' is the strongest visual image — it suggests the system, city, or person is so disabled that nothing moves at all, often suddenly. 'Cripple' overlaps in civic and business contexts (a cyber attack can cripple or paralyze a network) but hints at lasting damage rather than a sudden freeze. 'Halt' is neutral and temporary: a strike halts the trains, but the trains will run again soon. 'Freeze' fits emotional contexts well — Lina froze at the sight of the snake — and is more informal. 'Incapacitate' is the most formal, common in legal or medical writing: 'the chairman was incapacitated by a stroke'. Choose 'paralyze' when you want a strong image of total, sudden inability to act.

paralyze ↗cripplehalt ↗freeze ↗incapacitate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • paralyzed by fear
  • paralyzed from the waist down
  • paralyze the economy
  • paralyze public transport

Prepositions

  • paralyze by
  • paralyze from
  • paralyze with

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The verb entered English in the early 1800s, formed from the noun 'paralysis', which English took from Latin and ultimately from Greek 'paralusis' — a loosening or weakening at the side of the body. The Greek roots are 'para-' (beside) and 'lyein' (to loosen). The figurative sense — bringing a city or system to a standstill — grew naturally out of the medical sense during the 19th century. Note that 'paralyze' is the standard American spelling; British English uses 'paralyse'.