Word
palsy
Phoneticspal·sy
/ˈpɔɫzi/
Definitions
01medical condition
n. a condition where your muscles are weak, shake, or cannot move at all.
n. a condition characterized by paralysis or uncontrollable tremors, often resulting from neurological damage.
“The doctor explained that the weakness in his face was caused by a temporary palsy.”
“Bell's palsy typically presents as sudden, unilateral facial weakness, which most patients recover from within several months.”
Technical
Usage
Often used in specific medical names like 'Cerebral Palsy' or 'Bell's palsy'.
02very friendly
adj. acting very friendly or close with someone, often in a way that seems fake or too much.
adj. demonstrating an intimate or overly familiar manner. Often used in the reduplicative phrase 'palsy-walsy'.
“I don't like how he acts all palsy with the boss just to get a promotion.”
“Despite their public rivalry, the two politicians appeared remarkably palsy behind the scenes during the gala.”
Informal
Teaching tip
This sense is often used with a hint of disapproval to suggest someone is being too friendly for a selfish reason.
03to paralyze
v. to make a part of the body unable to move or feel anything.
v. to affect with palsy; to deprive of the ability to move or function.
“The extreme cold seemed to palsy his fingers, making it hard to grip the key.”
“Fear appeared to palsy the witness, leaving him unable to respond to the prosecutor's questions.”
Literary
Usage
Usually used in a figurative or descriptive sense in modern writing.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English palesie, from Anglo-Norman paralisie, parleisie et al., from Latin paralysis, from Ancient Greek παράλυσις (parálusis, “palsy”), from παραλύω (paralúō, “to disable on one side”), from παρα- (para-, “beside”) + λύω (lúō, “loosen”). Doublet of paralysis.
From pal + -sy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/palsy