Meaning & use
paralytic
Last updated
affected by paralysis, or relating to paralysis.
See it in a sentence
The stroke left him paralytic on one side of his body.
Doctors studied the paralytic effects of the toxin on nerve function.
A note on using this word
In British informal slang, paralytic can also describe someone extremely drunk, but the core medical meaning concerns paralysis.
Words with a similar meaning
paralyzedimmobilized
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
(British, informal) extremely drunk.
By midnight, he was completely paralytic and could barely stand.
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