paralyzed

paralyzed — adjective

1. no longer able to move part of the body, or any of it, because the nerves or mus

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

no longer able to move part of the body, or any of it, because the nerves or muscles have stopped working properly — usually after illness or serious injury.

Example

After the car crash, Marcus was paralyzed from the waist down.

paralyzed from + body part downward

A stroke left Mrs. Lin paralyzed on the left side of her body.

paralyzed on + side of body

Common collocations
  • permanently paralyzed
  • partially paralyzed
  • paralyzed from the waist down
  • paralyzed from the neck down
  • left paralyzed
Synonyms
  • immobilized

    broader — also covers being held still by a cast, restraint, or external force, not only nerve damage

  • incapacitated

    formal; emphasises being unable to function rather than the loss of movement specifically

  • quadriplegic

    technical noun/adjective for paralysis of all four limbs; not interchangeable in casual use

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

paralyzed from + body part downward

paralyzed in + body part

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person or a body part. Often paired with prepositions describing the area affected (from the neck down, in both legs, on one side). 'paralyzed' is the American spelling; British English uses 'paralysed' with the same meaning.

Common Mistakes

My foot was paralyzed for ten minutes after I sat on it.
My foot was numb for ten minutes after I sat on it.
temporary numbness from poor blood flow is 'numb', not 'paralyzed'.
She felt paralysed her arm.
Her arm was paralysed.
'paralyzed' is an adjective describing the body or person, not a verb taking a body-part object.

2. so overwhelmed by a strong feeling such as fear, shock, or doubt — or so blocked

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

so overwhelmed by a strong feeling such as fear, shock, or doubt — or so blocked by an outside force such as a strike or crisis — that you cannot think clearly or take any action.

Example

Lina stood at the top of the cliff, paralyzed with fear.

paralyzed with + emotion

The whole city was paralyzed by a sudden snowstorm on Monday morning.

paralyzed by + external cause

Common collocations
  • paralyzed with fear
  • paralyzed with shock
  • paralyzed by indecision
  • paralyzed by doubt
  • economy paralyzed
  • city paralyzed
Synonyms
  • frozen

    informal; usually short-lived and usually about a person, not a system

  • stunned

    emphasises shock at something unexpected; the inability to act is briefer

  • crippled

    stronger; often used of organisations or economies brought to a halt

  • stalled

    neutral; suggests progress has stopped but not necessarily through fear or shock

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

paralyzed by + emotion/cause

paralyzed with + emotion

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this figurative use is almost always followed by 'with' or 'by' plus the cause (fear, shock, doubt, a strike, a crisis). Subject can be a person, a group, or a system (city, market, government). No actual loss of physical movement is implied.

Common Mistakes

I was paralyzed of fear when I saw the snake.
I was paralyzed with fear when I saw the snake.
use 'with' for the emotion, or 'by' for an external cause; never 'of'.
The meeting was paralyzed because everyone agreed.
The meeting was deadlocked because no one would agree.
'paralyzed' implies inability to act, not simple agreement or stillness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe someone who cannot move normally, but each frames the cause differently. 'Paralyzed' points to nerves or muscles that have stopped working — typically after a stroke, spinal injury, or disease — and is the everyday word a doctor or family member would use ('paralyzed from the waist down'). 'Immobilized' is broader and more neutral: a leg in a heavy cast or a patient strapped to a stretcher is immobilized, but not paralyzed. 'Incapacitated' is more formal and abstract; it covers any condition (drunk, sick, exhausted) that stops a person from acting, so a court order may say a witness is 'incapacitated', not 'paralyzed'. 'Quadriplegic' is a technical label for paralysis of all four limbs and is used as a noun or adjective in medical contexts. So we say 'a paralyzed war veteran', 'a leg immobilized in plaster', and 'a witness too incapacitated to testify'.

paralyzed ↗immobilizedincapacitatedquadriplegic

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • left paralyzed
  • lie paralyzed
  • stand paralyzed
  • feel paralyzed

Prepositions

  • from (the waist/neck) down
  • in (both legs / one arm)
  • on (one side)
  • with (fear / shock)
  • by (a strike / indecision)

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Built on the verb 'paralyze', which English borrowed in the early 1800s from French 'paralyser'. The French verb was formed from 'paralysie', going back through Latin 'paralysis' to Greek 'paralusis', literally 'a loosening at the side' — from 'para-' (beside) and 'luein' (to loosen). The medical idea was that one side of the body had come undone. 'Paralyzed' is the American-spelt past participle used as an adjective; British English keeps the older spelling 'paralysed'.