What does paralysed mean?
Paralysed describes a person or body part that has lost normal movement or muscular control, and it can also describe something that has been prevented from operating or progressing. The word is commonly used figuratively: a paralysed transport system, paralysed negotiations, or a paralysed speaker indicate that normal action has been completely stopped. Its figurative use often suggests not merely temporary delay but a severe inability to respond or function. In medical contexts, ‘paralysed’ refers to loss of voluntary movement, though sensation and other functions may vary. British English uses the spelling with ‘y’, while American English normally uses ‘z’. The term is powerful because it applies both to the physical condition of paralysis and to the helplessness or immobilisation associated with it.
Unable to move or function normally because of paralysis; figuratively, completely prevented from acting or operating.
"The paralysed patient was treated by a specialist neurologist."
The figurative use is especially common in descriptions of systems, negotiations, traffic, and people unable to respond.
To cause someone or something to be unable to move or operate normally, or to prevent action or progress.
"A power failure paralysed the factory for several hours."
The verb is transitive and is often used with ‘by’ to identify the cause of the effect.
A single paralysed limb can make the whole body feel stuck, but paralysis can also describe a system so badly disrupted that it cannot function.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of paralysed
The word comes from Greek paralysis, formed from paralyein, ‘to loosen’ or ‘disable’, with the suffix -sis indicating a condition. In English, paralysis originally referred to loss of movement or sensation and was later extended to figurative situations in which action or communication is prevented. Paralysed and its related forms retain this combination of physical disability and figurative obstruction.
Related word forms
How paralysed is actually used
In British English, ‘paralysed’ is standard. In American English, ‘paralyzed’ is the usual spelling, although ‘paralysed’ is also understood. The figurative sense, meaning unable to act or operate normally, is common in both varieties.
Easily confused with paralysed
Paralysis is the medical condition or state of being unable to move, whereas paralysed describes someone or something affected by it.