paralyze

paralyze — verb

1. to damage someone's nerves or muscles so badly that they can no longer move part

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to damage someone's nerves or muscles so badly that they can no longer move part of their body, or any of it.

例句

The car crash paralyzed Mr. Chen from the waist down.

passive scene-setter: paralyzed from [body part] down

A bite from this small spider can paralyze a healthy adult within minutes.

subject is venom or bite causing motor loss

同義詞
  • immobilize

    more neutral; can mean tie down or hold still without nerve damage

  • cripple

    older and now often considered offensive when used about people

  • numb

    lighter — only loss of feeling, not necessarily loss of movement

反義詞
  • revive

    bring back movement or life

  • heal

    restore the body so movement returns

文法句型

paralyze + body part / person

be paralyzed from [body part] down

用法筆記

Frequently passive, especially with 'from the waist/neck down' or 'in both legs/arms'. Subject in active use is typically an injury, disease, drug, or animal venom rather than a person.

常見錯誤

❌The accident paralyzed his arm broken.
✅The accident paralyzed his arm.
💡'paralyze' already means the limb cannot move, so don't add 'broken' or 'hurt' afterwards.
❌She paralyzed after the fall.
✅She was paralyzed after the fall.
💡when a person is the subject, use the passive 'be paralyzed', because the person did not do the action to themselves.

2. to stop a place, organization, or activity from working normally, or to make a p

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to stop a place, organization, or activity from working normally, or to make a person so frightened or shocked that they cannot act or decide — for example, a strike that halts trains, or fear that freezes a speaker on stage.

例句

Heavy snow paralyzed the city of Sapporo for nearly three days.

subject is a disruptive event halting a place

The bus drivers' strike has paralyzed public transport across Manila.

collocation: paralyze public transport / industry

同義詞
  • cripple

    similar civic or business sense; suggests lasting damage

  • halt

    neutral and temporary; no sense of helplessness

  • freeze

    informal; good for the emotional 'cannot move' sense

  • incapacitate

    formal; emphasises being unable to function

反義詞
  • mobilize

    get a group or system moving and active again

  • energize

    restore energy and activity, especially to people

文法句型

paralyze + city / industry / system

be paralyzed by [event/emotion]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is a system, place, organization, or person's decision-making, not their body. Often passive with 'by' to name the cause (fear, indecision, strike, attack).

常見錯誤

❌The traffic was paralyzed his leg.
✅The traffic was paralyzed by the protest.
💡sense 2 takes a system or place as object, not a body part; use sense 1 for body parts.
❌Fear paralyzed to speak.
✅Fear paralyzed her, and she could not speak.
💡'paralyze' takes a direct object (a person or thing), not a to-infinitive.