What does palsy mean?
Palsy is a noun for a condition marked especially by involuntary shaking, weakness, or loss of control in a part of the body, commonly the hands or limbs. It appears in medical expressions such as Bell's palsy and shaking palsy, although many uses are now formal, archaic, or specialized. The word can also be used figuratively to describe a persistent weakness in an organization, system, or line of thought: a lack of vigorous or effective action may be called a kind of intellectual or institutional palsy. Palsy is related in origin to words such as paralysis, paralyze, and paralytic, which come from the same Greek root meaning loosening or disabling. For most contemporary readers, the term's distinctive value is its association with a particular historical medical description and with the vivid figurative idea of something unable to act effectively.
nounA condition involving involuntary trembling or weakness, especially of the hands or limbs. The term is also used figuratively for a persistent weakness or impairment.
- A condition involving involuntary trembling, especially of the hands or limbs.
- A state of persistent weakness or inability, especially in an institution, organization, or system.
"He had been unable to write for years because of a palsy in his right hand."
"The doctor diagnosed a mild palsy in her left hand."
"The committee's unwillingness to act was described as intellectual palsy."
The plural is rare in ordinary modern usage but is standard when referring to multiple cases or instances of palsy.
"The survey documented several palsies among the clinic's older patients."
The word palsy survives in everyday medical language through Bell's palsy, a condition that can interrupt the muscles controlling facial expression.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of palsy
Palsy comes through Old French from Latin paralysia, a word derived from Greek paralyein, meaning to loosen or disable. The English term originally referred to paralysis or loss of movement and control, and its modern associations with trembling developed in medical usage. It is a cognate of paralysis, paralyze, and paralytic, all of which continue to use the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How palsy is actually used
In modern medical usage, palsy is mainly associated with named conditions such as Bell's palsy. Its figurative sense is formal and often suggests a deep or persistent weakness, especially in thought, judgment, or action.
Easily confused with palsy
Paralysis is the broader term for loss of voluntary movement, whereas palsy often specifically suggests a chronic condition marked by tremor and weakness.