plural palsies
1
: paralysis
—used chiefly in combination
oculomotor palsy
see bell's palsy, cerebral palsy
2
: a condition that is marked by uncontrollable tremor and quivering of the body or one or more of its parts
—not used technically
… an involuntary shake that was to prove the prelude to age's palsy.—
Angus Wilson
Angus WilsonSynonyms
Examples of palsy in a Sentence
Noun
palsy can sometimes be caused by a brain injury
Adjective
the salesman changed his palsy attitude when he realized that I wasn't buying
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Researchers at the University of Zurich estimated that the adjuvanted flu vaccine had increased the risk of contracting Bell’s palsy by about 20 times, and the vaccine was discontinued.
—Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Sarah Klein, PEOPLE.com, 26 July 2017
Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2024
The company will reduce its workforce by approximately 70% and prioritize funding its ongoing studies of an experimental drug for Wolfram syndrome and supranuclear palsy – both rare neurodegenerative disorders – and another experimental drug for ALS, according to the news release.
—Mira Cheng, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for palsy 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
No serious side effects were reported during the trial period, but once the vaccine was released, Swiss officials saw a concerning uptick in cases of Bell’s palsy, a disease that causes weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, often leading to a drooping or disfigured face.
—Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Researchers at the University of Zurich estimated that the adjuvanted flu vaccine had increased the risk of contracting Bell’s palsy by about 20 times, and the vaccine was discontinued.
—Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
Things Became Difficult’ A doctor can usually diagnose Bell’s palsy just by looking at a person, but may decide to do a blood test, MRI, or CT scan to rule out other causes of facial paralysis, like diabetes or tumors.
—Sarah Klein, PEOPLE.com, 26 July 2017
Adjective
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive bulbar palsy are both examples of motor neuron diseases.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2024
The company will reduce its workforce by approximately 70% and prioritize funding its ongoing studies of an experimental drug for Wolfram syndrome and supranuclear palsy – both rare neurodegenerative disorders – and another experimental drug for ALS, according to the news release.
—Mira Cheng, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for palsy
Dictionary Entries Near palsy
Cite this Entry
“Palsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palsy. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
palsy
noun
pal·sy
ˈpȯl-zē 
plural palsies
1
: paralysis
—used chiefly in combination
oculomotor palsy
see bell's palsy, cerebral palsy
2
: a condition that is characterized by uncontrollable tremor or quivering of the body or one or more of its parts
—not used technically
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share