crippled

American

[krip-uhld] / ˈkrɪp əld /

adjective

Offensive.
1. relating to a person who is partially or totally unable to use one or more limbs.
2. relating to a person who is disabled or impaired in any way.
not operating or performing at the customary level; impaired; weakened.

Significant progress has been made in repairing the crippled power plant.
A telecommunications firm has signed a deal to get their crippled company back in business.

Sensitive Note

Why is crippled offensive? See cripple ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

uncrippled

adjective

Etymology

Origin of crippled

First recorded in 1300–50; cripple ( def. ) (verb) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When something is crippled, it's not working properly. Your bike might be crippled by the broken front brake that won't let the wheel turn freely. You can used the adjective crippled to talk about a broken machine or a process that's not working the way it should. It was once commonly used to describe a physically disabled person, but this has become an offensive term and should be avoided. The word crippled comes from the Old English crypel, which is related to cryppan, "to crook or to bend."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This isn’t only humanitarian restraint; it’s the construction of a “golden bridge” across which a crippled leadership can eventually retreat while saying all hasn’t been lost.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

There are also calls to overhaul rules related to special treatment of developing countries and achieving a level playing field for trade, as well as a push to restore the organisation's crippled dispute settlement system.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

She said major issues with the officer’s credibility crippled both cases.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Some popular hotels, crippled by ongoing blackouts, have begun to shut down, ferrying remaining guests to other lodging, according to Russia’s tour-operator agency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

It had been so long since a farrier had trimmed War Chief’s hooves that he hobbled painfully around the yard like a crippled ballerina.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023