paresis

P3A1R1E1S1I1S1
UK/pəˈɹiːsɪs/

noun

A paralysis which is incomplete or which occurs in isolated areas.

OriginAncient Greek πάρεσις →
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Meanings

nounparesis (countable and uncountable, plural pareses)

plural pareses

  1. countableuncountableA paralysis which is incomplete or which occurs in isolated areas.
  2. countableuncountableInflammation of the brain as a cause of dementia or paralysis.

    "You really touch the limit," said he. "You enlarge my view of the possible. Cerebral paresis! Mental inertia! Wonderful!" He was too absurd to make me angry.

    1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekπάρεσις“letting go, paralysis”
  2. Englishparesis

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek πάρεσις (páresis, “letting go, paralysis”), from παρίημι (paríēmi, “relax”), from παρα- (para-) + ἵημι (híēmi, “let go”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech paréza
  • parézapartial paralysis
Finnish pareesi
  • pareesipartial paralysis
French parésie
  • parésiepartial paralysis
German Parese
  • Paresepartial paralysis
Hungarian parézis, részleges bénulás
  • parézispartial paralysis
  • részleges bénuláspartial paralysis
Italian paresi
  • paresipartial paralysis
Swedish pares
  • parespartial paralysis

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Serapis
Cite this entry
APA

paresis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paresis

MLA

“paresis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paresis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paresis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paresis.

Source: paresis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.