paralyse
gb/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/ us/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
C1
action
1
make someone unable to move
to make someone unable to move all or part of their body
Schéma d’usage :
paralyse [someone]/[part of the body]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse the UK spelling paralyse/paralysed with the US spelling paralyze/paralyzed.
Synonymes
paralyze (US spelling.)
|
immobilize (Often suggests preventing movement, not necessarily medical loss of function.)
|
disable (Broader; can mean making someone unable to function normally.)
Antonymes
restore (To bring back movement or function.)
|
revive (To bring back activity or consciousness, depending on context.)
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
Thèmes
health
|medicine
|body
Exemples
- The accident paralysed him from the waist down.
- A blood clot can paralyse part of the brain and affect speech.
- The virus can paralyse the muscles that control breathing.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The disease paralysed his legs.
- She was paralysed after the crash.
Verbe
C1
action
2
stop something from working
to stop something from working normally
Schéma d’usage :
paralyse [system/organization/city/economy/transport]
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t use *paralyse* just to mean “slow down”; it usually means almost completely stopping normal activity.
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
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.)
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
Thèmes
business
|government
|transport
|daily_life
Exemples
- Heavy snow paralysed the rail network for two days.
- The cyberattack paralysed the company’s customer-support systems.
- Budget cuts have paralysed the agency’s ability to respond quickly.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The strike paralysed the buses.
- The storm paralysed the airport.
Verbe
B2
action
3
make someone unable to act
to make someone unable to act because of strong feelings
Schéma d’usage :
be paralysed (with/by) [fear/shock/anxiety/indecision]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse *paralyse* with *analyze* because of similar spelling; *paralyse* means “make unable to act or move.”
Synonymes
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.)
Antonymes
embolden (To give someone courage to act.)
|
steady (To make someone calmer and more able 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
Thèmes
emotions
|psychology
Exemples
- She was paralysed with fear when she heard the footsteps behind her.
- The pressure of making the ‘right’ choice paralysed him.
- Bad news can paralyse people into doing nothing at all.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I was paralysed with fear.
- The stress paralysed him.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
paralyse
API
GB/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
US/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪz/
Syllabes et accentuation
para - lyse (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (para)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: paralyse
- 3rd Person Singular: paralyses
- Present Participle: paralysing
- Past: paralysed
Famille de mots
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
Exemples
- 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.
paralysed by analysis
1/pˈɑɹəlˌaɪzd bˈaɪ ænˈælɪsɪs/
idiom
unable to decide from overthinking
to think so much that you cannot decide
Exemples
- 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.