palsy

1 of 3

noun

pal·​sy ˈpȯl-zē How to pronounce palsy (audio)
plural palsies
Synonyms of palsynext
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

palsy

2 of 3

verb

palsied; palsying

transitive verb

: to affect with or as if with palsy

palsy

3 of 3

adjective

ˈpal-zē How to pronounce palsy (audio)
: palsy-walsy

Synonyms of palsy

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Noun

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
His health had been in decline for years due to progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026 Back in 2024, Embiid battled the Knicks in a first-round playoff series months after left knee surgery and dealt with Bell’s palsy. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
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
Jackson suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease. — Dana Afana, Freep.com, 25 Feb. 2026 His health had been in decline for years due to progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for palsy

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English palesie, alteration of parlesey, from Anglo-French paralisie, from Latin paralysis

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1615, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of palsy was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing palsy

Browse Nearby Words

palster
palsy
palsy-walsy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Palsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palsy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

palsy

noun
pal·​sy
ˈpȯl-zē
1
: paralysis
2
: a condition marked by uncontrollable trembling or shaking of the body or a part (as the head or hands)

Medical Definition

palsy

noun
pal·​sy ˈpȯl-zē How to pronounce palsy (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on palsy

Nglish: Translation of palsy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about palsy

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