paralyse
gb/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/ us/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
B2
English
megbénít
VERB
C1
1
megbénít
B2
Usage pattern:
paralyse [someone]/[part of the body]
The accident paralysed him from the waist down.
A baleset következtében deréktól lefelé megbénult.
A blood clot can paralyse part of the brain and affect speech.
Egy vérrög megbéníthatja az agy egy részét, és befolyásolhatja a beszédet.
The virus can paralyse the muscles that control breathing.
Learner examples
The disease paralysed his legs.
A betegség megbénította a lábait.
She was paralysed after the crash.
A baleset után megbénult.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the UK spelling paralyse/paralysed with the US spelling paralyze/paralyzed.
Meaning
make someone unable to move
Collocations
be paralysed
|be partially paralysed
|be permanently paralysed
|be temporarily paralysed
|paralyse the legs
|paralyse the left side
|be paralysed from the waist down
|be paralysed by a stroke
|paralysing injury
|paralysed patient
Synonyms
paralyze (US spelling.)
|
immobilize (Often suggests preventing movement, not necessarily medical loss of function.)
|
disable (Broader; can mean making someone unable to function normally.)
Antonyms
restore (To bring back movement or function.)
|
revive (To bring back activity or consciousness, depending on context.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
Definition
to make someone unable to move all or part of their body
To cause a person or part of their body to lose the ability to move or feel, usually because of injury, illness, or a medical condition.
VERB
C1
2
megbénít
B2
Usage pattern:
paralyse [system/organization/city/economy/transport]
Heavy snow paralysed the rail network for two days.
A nagy hó két napra megbénította a vasúti hálózatot.
The cyberattack paralysed the company’s customer-support systems.
A kibertámadás megbénította a vállalat ügyfélszolgálati rendszereit.
Budget cuts have paralysed the agency’s ability to respond quickly.
Learner examples
The strike paralysed the buses.
A sztrájk megbénította a buszközlekedést.
The storm paralysed the airport.
A vihar megbénította a repülőteret.
Common mistake:
Don’t use *paralyse* just to mean “slow down”; it usually means almost completely stopping normal activity.
Meaning
stop something from working
Collocations
paralyse the economy
|paralyse the city
|paralyse the country
|paralyse traffic
|paralyse public transport
|paralyse production
|paralyse operations
|paralyse decision-making
|paralyse services
|be paralysed by strikes
Synonyms
cripple (Common in headlines; can sound harsh and is best for systems, not people.)
|
bring to a halt (Emphasizes stopping completely.)
|
shut down (Often implies an intentional or official closure.)
Antonyms
restart (To start operating again after stopping.)
|
get going (Informal; to begin moving/working effectively.)
|
streamline (To make a process work more efficiently rather than stopping it.)
Themes
business
|government
|transport
|daily_life
Definition
to stop something from working normally
To stop an organization, system, or process from working or making progress, especially by causing serious disruption.
VERB
B2
3
megbénít
B2
Usage pattern:
be paralysed (with/by) [fear/shock/anxiety/indecision]
She was paralysed with fear when she heard the footsteps behind her.
A félelemtől teljesen megbénult, amikor meghallotta a lépteket maga mögött.
The pressure of making the ‘right’ choice paralysed him.
A „helyes” döntés meghozatalának nyomása teljesen megbénította.
Bad news can paralyse people into doing nothing at all.
Learner examples
I was paralysed with fear.
A félelemtől megbénultam.
The stress paralysed him.
A stressztől teljesen megbénult.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *paralyse* with *analyze* because of similar spelling; *paralyse* means “make unable to act or move.”
Meaning
make someone unable to act
Collocations
be paralysed with fear
|be paralysed by fear
|be paralysed with shock
|be paralysed by anxiety
|be paralysed with panic
|be paralysed by indecision
|paralysing fear
|paralysed with dread
Synonyms
freeze (More informal; often used for a sudden inability to move or react.)
|
petrify (Stronger and more dramatic; often literary.)
|
overwhelm (Broader; can mean strongly affect, not necessarily stop action completely.)
Antonyms
embolden (To give someone courage to act.)
|
steady (To make someone calmer and more able to act.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
Definition
to make someone unable to act because of strong feelings
To make someone unable to think clearly or take action, especially because of fear, shock, anxiety, or indecision.
Grammar
Dictionary form
paralyse
IPA
GB/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
US/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
para - lyse (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (para)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: paralyse
- 3rd Person Singular: paralyses
- Present Participle: paralysing
- Past: paralysed
Word family
Expressions
be paralysed with fear
1/bˈi pˈɑɹəlˌaɪzd wˈɪθ fˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
be unable to act from fear
to be so scared that you cannot act
Examples
- He stood at the edge of the pool, paralysed with fear.
- I was paralysed with fear and couldn’t call out.
- She felt paralysed with fear as the dog ran towards her.
Learner examples
- She was paralysed with fear.
- I was paralysed with fear.
paralysed by analysis
1/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪzd bˈaɪ ænˈælɪsɪs/
idiom
unable to decide from overthinking
to think so much that you cannot decide
Examples
- The team became paralysed by analysis and missed the deadline.
- Don’t get paralysed by analysis—pick a plan and start.
- Investors are paralysed by analysis when the market is volatile.
Learner examples
- He was paralysed by analysis.
- I don’t want to be paralysed by analysis.