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

catatonic noun

catatonically

ˌka-tə-ˈtä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of catatonic

• blank
• motionless
• vacant

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

After Verity is left catatonic from an initially unspecified accident, a far less successful writer named Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is hired to finish Verity’s book series. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

In the psychological thriller, Hathaway plays Verity Crawford, a novelist left in a catatonic state after a car accident. — New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

During lab experiments, that material removed both catatonic and anionic dyes, proving its potential for wastewater treatment. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see catatonia

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for catatonic

• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic
• diachronic
• diatonic
• electronic
• embryonic
• excitonic
• fermionic

Medical 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

catatonically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

catatonic

2 of 2 noun

: a catatonic individual