catatonic
adjective
cat·a·ton·ic
ˌka-tə-ˈtä-nik 
1
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected with catatonia
catatonic schizophrenia
2
: characterized by a marked lack of movement, activity, or expression
tourists who were almost catatonic at finding themselves in their hero's presence—
Neil Hickey
Neil Hickey
catatonic
noun
Examples of catatonic in a Sentence
a catatonic stare was all that the neglected resident of the nursing home seemed capable of
Recent Examples on the Web
The baby, who was gray, emaciated and catatonic when brought to the Hoag Hospital Emergency Room, was suffering from extremely low blood-sugar levels, hypoxia and constant seizures, according to prosecutors.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
When state troopers executed a search warrant at a motel where Zajko was staying, law enforcement found LaSota hiding in the bathroom of another room, laying still on the floor, his eyes closed, almost catatonic.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025
Extreme fatigue that turned mornings into catatonic nightmares.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
The voice-over narration tells us that Alex’s parents remain catatonic, and, after a couple of years, some of the recovered children have only just begun to speak again.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catatonic
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Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
When state troopers executed a search warrant at a motel where Zajko was staying, law enforcement found LaSota hiding in the bathroom of another room, laying still on the floor, his eyes closed, almost catatonic.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2025
Extreme fatigue that turned mornings into catatonic nightmares.
—Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
The voice-over narration tells us that Alex’s parents remain catatonic, and, after a couple of years, some of the recovered children have only just begun to speak again.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catatonic
Cite this Entry
“Catatonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catatonic. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
catatonic
1 of 2 adjective
cata·ton·ic
ˌkat-ə-ˈtän-ik
: of, relating to, marked by, or affected with catatonia
catatonic schizophrenia
catatonic rigidity
catatonic patients
catatonic
2 of 2 noun
: a catatonic individual
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