VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

being paralyzed

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌbiːɪŋ ˈpærəlaɪzd/
US/ˌbiːɪŋ ˈperəlaɪzd/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrasemedical

    The condition of being unable to move part or all of the body because of injury or illness.

    Grammar: Often follows 'be' or verbs like 'remain': He remains paralyzed from the waist down.

    Patterns

    • be paralyzed from the waist down
    • be paralyzed in one arm
    • be left paralyzed

    After the accident, he was paralyzed from the waist down.

    Being paralyzed in one arm made everyday tasks much harder.

    The stroke left her paralyzed on the left side.

  2. phrasefixed phrasefigurative

    The state of being unable to act or think clearly because of fear, shock, or indecision.

    Grammar: Often followed by 'by' or 'with': paralyzed by fear.

    Patterns

    • be paralyzed by fear
    • be paralyzed with shock
    • feel paralyzed

    She felt paralyzed by fear and couldn't move.

    Being paralyzed with indecision cost him the opportunity.

    The whole office seemed paralyzed by the bad news.

Common combinations

be paralyzed from the waist down
He has been paralyzed from the waist down since the crash.
paralyzed by fear
She stood paralyzed by fear as the dog approached.
paralyzed with shock
The audience was paralyzed with shock after the announcement.
leave someone paralyzed
The illness left him paralyzed in both legs.

Synonyms and how they differ

immobile
Means unable to move, but can be temporary and does not always suggest nerve damage.
frozen
Often used figuratively for being unable to act because of fear; it is less medical than 'paralyzed'.
numb
Means having no feeling in a body part, which may or may not involve loss of movement.

Opposites

mobileactive

Word family

paralyze verb
To make someone unable to move or act.
paralysis noun
The medical condition of being unable to move.
paralytic adjective
Relating to paralysis, or (informal) extremely drunk.

Commonly confused: being paralyzed or paralyse?

being paralyzed vs paralyse

British spelling of the verb; American English uses 'paralyze'. The -ing form is 'paralysing' in British English.

Practice

After the stroke, he was paralyzed ___ the left side.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “being paralyzed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words