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Lame vs Paralytic - What's the difference?

lame | paralytic |

As adjectives the difference between lame and paralytic

is that lame is unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs while paralytic is affected by paralysis; paralysed.

As nouns the difference between lame and paralytic

is that lame is a lamina while paralytic is someone suffering from paralysis.

As a verb lame

is to cause a person or animal to become lame.

lame

English

(wikipedia lame)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)
  • Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs.
  • Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury, defect or temporary obstruction of a function.
    • a lame leg, arm or muscle
  • (by extension) Hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect.
  • * Barrow
    • a lame endeavour
  • * Shakespeare
    • O, most lame and impotent conclusion!
  • (slang) Unconvincing or unbelievable.
    • He had a really lame excuse for missing the birthday party.
  • (slang) Failing to be cool, funny, interesting or relevant.
    • He kept telling these extremely lame jokes all night.
  • (slang) Strangely corny or sweet to an extent.
    • I told him not to bring me flowers, so he brought a bunch of carrots instead. It was lame but it made me smile.
    Usage notes
    Referring to a person without a disability as “lame” is offensive to many as it suggests a derogatory characterization of the physical condition from which the term was derived.
    Synonyms
    * (sense, unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs) crippled * (moving with difficulty) * (sense) hobbling, limping, inefficient, imperfect * (sense) unconvincing, unbelievable * uncool, unfunny, uninteresting, irrelevant
    Antonyms
    * (sense, unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs) * (moving with difficulty) * (sense) efficient, perfect * (sense) convincing, believable * cool, funny, interesting, relevant
    Derived terms
    * lame duck * lamage * lamebrain * lamely * lameness * lamestream * lame-o

    Verb

    (lam)
  • to cause a person or animal to become lame
  • * 1877', Anna Sewell, ''Black Beauty'': And if you don't want to ' lame your horse you must look sharp and get them [stones stuck in hooves] out quickly.
  • * 1913 ,
    • Now her soul felt lamed in itself. It was her hope that was struck.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) lame, from (etyl) lamina.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A lamina.
  • (in the plural) A set of joined, overlapping metal plates.
    • Related terms
    *

    Etymology 3

    Verb

    (lam)
  • (obsolete) To shine.
    • (Piers Plowman)
    (Webster 1913)

    References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    paralytic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * paralytick (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Someone suffering from paralysis.

    • Quotations

    * (English Citations of "paralytic")

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Affected by paralysis; paralysed.
  • * Prior
    • the cold, shaking, paralytic hand
  • Pertaining to paralysis.
  • (UK, Australia, Irish) Very drunk.
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=Para-olympics , group=aus.jokes , author=Ben McCulloch , date=August 18 , year=1996 , passage=Are the para-olympics the events in which the olympians, having finished their events in the normal olympics, go out and get pissed and then compete again?
    ie: the para-olympics become the paralytic olympics. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=Gundagai - Last Use Of Line? , group=aus.rail , author=David McLoughlin , date=January 3 , year=1999 , passage=I'm amazed I survived so much drunken driving. Once he was so paralytic he even made me drive, and I was about 14 and barely able to see above the steering wheel. At least it was an automatic. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=ablett no from hall of fame , group=aus.sport.aussie-rules , author=Peter Ryan , date=May 24 , year=2001 , passage=He hasn't even been openly accused of anything bar drinking himself paralytic at a time that, in hindsight, was inconvenient. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup
    • , title=On the Isle of Man. , group=free.jokes , author=C e r b e r u s - T h e D o g O f H e l l , date=April 16 , year=2002 , passage=On returning to his friends at the bar he remarked " there's a fellow in the jaxx and he's just paralytic . He must be heading for the boat and didn't quite make it." citation

    Derived terms

    * paralytically Geordie English