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Glite Dictionary
🛑 To stop movement 💰 To freeze assets
to immobilize

to immobilize

23 6.0
To stop movement or action
  • verb
  • /ɪˈmoʊbɪˌlaɪz/
: inmovilizar
  • Children or adolescents with pressure ulcers may need to be immobilized, hospitalized, or may require surgical repair.
  • immobilize the patient
  • immobilized enzyme
  • immobilize the neck

Because even when immobilized, hosts can spread.

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Examples

  • Only a physician may manually immobilize the neck when a collar is changed.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The purpose of the extrication collar is to immobilize the patient's neck at the trauma scene.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Hang on to this while I immobilize this leg.

    X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

  • Sometimes it was necessary to immobilize someone for his protection and the protection of others.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • If brain chemicals are not in correct balance, depression may immobilize an individual.

    Academic text (1998)

  • We want to try to isolate this thing and immobilize it.

    The Entity (1982)

  • I've got him completely immobilized.

    Kung Fu Panda (2008)

  • Each subject sat comfortably in a chair with the head immobilized on a headrest.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The movement can be slight as the lower extremity will be immobilized in a splint.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The doctor used a splint to immobilize the injured arm during treatment.

Synonyms

to lock
vsto immobilize
602 2.5

To become stiff and unable to move a part of the body

is broader, covering prevention of movement or action beyond rigidity
to trap
vsto immobilize
550 2.6

To catch and hold someone or something so they cannot leave

emphasizes stopping movement or action itself rather than just capture
to restrain
vsto immobilize
233 4.6

Hold a person or thing so it cannot move freely

is similar but can stress creating immobility or powerlessness specifically
to disable
vsto immobilize
186 3.5

Make a device or feature stop working

is about stopping movement or action entirely rather than limiting a function
to pin
vsto immobilize
146 2.1

To hold something or someone firmly so they cannot move

focuses more generally on stopping movement or action by any means
to paralyze
vsto immobilize
  • US
51 5.3

Stop a person or system from moving and acting

is similar but also highlights making someone powerless as well as immobile
to shackle
vsto immobilize
19 6.2

To restrain someone with chains or limit their freedom

is more general and can apply without physical chains
to incapacitate
vsto immobilize
18 7.5

To make a person or thing not able to do normal activities

is narrower, focusing specifically on stopping movement or making powerless
to pinion
vsto immobilize
  • NSFW
1 9.5

To tie someone's arms or legs so they cannot move

is broader, applying to any action prevented not only limb binding

Antonyms

to empower
173 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

to mobilize
31 4.8

To make someone or something start to move and become active

How Immobilized

to paralyze
  • US
51 5.3
to immobilize
23 6.0
to restrict
188 3.1
to limit
465 2.1

Surface Forms

immobilize infinitive
immobilise infinitive
immobilized past
immobilised past
immobilized past participle
immobilised past participle
immobilizing present participle
immobilising present participle
immobilizes third person singular
immobilises third person singular

Morphology

immobilize = immobile (transparent) = im + mobile + ize

Clearly formed from 'immobile' (not movable) plus the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize' meaning 'to make or render'.

Etymology

The word immobilize breaks into the parts im- meaning 'not' and mobile meaning 'move', so it means 'not move'. To immobilize someone or something is to stop it from moving or acting.