paralyze

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled paralyse and paralysed

US /ˈpæɹəˌlaɪz/ UK /ˈpæɹəlaɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #29104

Meanings

1

verb
To make someone unable to move part or all of their body.

The injury paralyzed him from the waist down.
2

verb
To make something unable to work or function.

The strike paralyzed transport across the whole city.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make someone unable to... paralyse

2 verb · to make something unable to... paralyse

Word family

Forms paralysingparalyzedparalyzesparalyzing

Derived forms paralyzationparalyzer

Etymology

Partly a borrowing from French. Probably partly either (i) formed within English, by derivation. Or partly (ii) a borrowing from French, combined with an English element. Etymons: Middle English paralysie, -ize suffix; French paralyser.

paralysie Middle English paralyser French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# paralyze

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpæɹəˌlaɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpæɹəlaɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 29104

## Meanings
1. To make someone unable to move part or all of their body.
2. To make something unable to work or function.

## Examples
- The injury paralyzed him from the waist down.
- The strike paralyzed transport across the whole city.

## Derived Forms
- paralyzation
- paralyzer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: paralysie
- Root: paralyser

## Etymology
Partly a borrowing from French. Probably partly either (i) formed within English, by derivation. Or partly (ii) a borrowing from French, combined with an English element. Etymons: Middle English paralysie, -ize suffix; French paralyser.

## AI Etymology
Paralyze partly a borrowing from French. Probably partly either (i) formed within English, by derivation. Or partly (ii) a borrowing from French, combined with an English element. Etymons: Middle English paralysie, -ize suffix; French paralyser. The historical chain includes Middle English paralysie and French paralyser. Modern senses include to make someone unable to move part or all of their body and to make something unable to work or function. The wider word family includes derivatives such as paralyzation and paralyzer.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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