paralyze
UK: ˈpærəlaɪz | US: ˈpærəˌlaɪz
vt. to cause (a person or part of the body) to lose the ability to move or feel
vt. to render powerless or ineffective; cripple
paralyze = para<beside, abnormal> + lyze<loosen, dissolve>
- para: From Greek para- ("beside, beyond, abnormal"), often indicating deviation or impairment.
- lyze: Derived from Greek lysis ("a loosening, dissolving"), commonly used in medical/scientific terms (e.g., analyze, catalyze).
Etymology Origin:
The word paralyze traces back to Greek paralyein ("to disable, loosen beside"), combining para- (abnormal) and lyein (to loosen). It originally described the literal loss of bodily function but later extended metaphorically to systemic or functional incapacitation (e.g., "The strike paralyzed the city"). The spelling evolved via Latin paralysis and French paralyser, retaining the core idea of "rendering inert."
A sudden stroke paralyzed his left arm.
The cyberattack paralyzed the company’s servers for hours.
Fear paralyzed her, leaving her unable to speak.
The snowstorm paralyzed all public transportation.
Economic sanctions aim to paralyze the regime’s financial systems.