PARALYTIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does paralytic mean? 

• PARALYTIC (noun)
  The noun PARALYTIC has 1 sense:

1. a person suffering from paralysis

  Familiarity information: PARALYTIC used as a noun is very rare.

• PARALYTIC (adjective)
  The adjective PARALYTIC has 2 senses:

1. relating to or of the nature of paralysis

2. affected with paralysis

  Familiarity information: PARALYTIC used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PARALYTIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person suffering from paralysis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("paralytic" is a kind of...):

handicapped person (a person who has some condition that markedly restricts their ability to function physically or mentally or socially)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "paralytic"):

paretic (a person afflicted with paresis (partial paralysis))

spastic (a person suffering from spastic paralysis)

Derivation:

paralytic (affected with paralysis)

• PARALYTIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to or of the nature of paralysis

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

paralytic; paralytical

Context example:

paralytic symptoms

Pertainym:

paralysis (loss of the ability to move a body part)

Derivation:

paralysis (loss of the ability to move a body part)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Affected with paralysis

Synonyms:

paralytic; paralyzed

Similar:

ill; sick (affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function)

Derivation:

paralysis (loss of the ability to move a body part)

paralytic (a person suffering from paralysis)

 Context examples 

Paralytic ileus may be caused by surgery, inflammation, and certain drugs.

(Paralytic ileus, NCI Dictionary)

“You might remove the handcuffs,” he said that night, as we stood in consultation over him. “It’s dead safe. I’m a paralytic now. The next thing to watch out for is bed sores.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)