crippled

American  

[krip-uhld] / ˈkrɪp əld /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

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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. )

Example Sentences

Her Imagination Library, inspired by her belief that her father had been “crippled” by illiteracy, has reportedly distributed some 300 million books to children.

From The Wall Street Journal

An epic internet blackout that crippled airline IT systems and so much more?

From The Wall Street Journal

“Those measures were valuable in the last bird-flu outbreak, when Cal-Maine largely avoided the severe flock losses that crippled many competitors.”

From Barron's

The therapy can prevent children from becoming crippled by the time they’re teenagers.

From The Wall Street Journal

The drinks company published a statement on its investigation into the ransomware attack, which had crippled its operations across its factories in Japan and forced employees to take orders by pen and paper.

From BBC

Related Words

• debilitated
• disabled
• impaired
• incapacitated
• limited
• maimed
• paralytic
• paralyzed
• restricted