[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/paralyse.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / paralyse

[← P](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/P/)

# paralyse

«paralyse» in Mova's school dictionary: **to make them lose the ability to move part or all of…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (paralyse, paralyses, paralysed, paralysing)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To paralyse someone is to make them lose the ability to move part or all of their body, through injury or illness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#m1)

2) To paralyse something is to stop it working or moving normally, as snow can paralyse a city. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#m2)

3) To be paralysed with fear means to be so frightened that you cannot move or act. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science and health lessons, damage to the spine or nerves can paralyse; some spiders and snakes paralyse their prey with venom. In stories, characters are «paralysed with fear». In the news, strikes or storms paralyse transport. Phrases: «paralysed from the waist down», «paralysed with fear», «paralyse the city».

### examples

- The accident paralysed his legs, so he uses a wheelchair. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x1)
- The spider's venom paralyses the fly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x2)
- Heavy snow paralysed the city for three days. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x3)
- She was paralysed with fear when she saw the bear. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x4)
- The power cut paralysed the trains. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x5)
- Some illnesses can paralyse muscles for a short time. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x6)
- Therein lives a poor paralysed girl; the window of her little room looks northward, the sun does not enter here. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/#x7)

### note

British spelling «paralyse», American «paralyze». Noun «paralysis», adjective «paralysed» or «paralytic». Be respectful: people who are paralysed can live full lives; say «a person who uses a wheelchair», not unkind names.

### In the corpora

- [Four friends lowered a paralysed man through a roof to Jesus, who forgave him and healed him.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/16-the-miracles-of-jesus/13/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «paralyse» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/paralyse/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.