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.

Four of the Iranian navy’s primary surface combatants—including a Jamaran-class frigate—were likely sunk or crippled by March 5, according to Janes, an intelligence company specializing in military and national security analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 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

Stocks slumped as the conflict in the Middle East crippled travel through some of the world’s most crowded transit arteries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

In any case, Iran is expected to demand the lifting of sanctions that have crippled its economy.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

But Uncle Willie was suffering under our father’s bombastic pressure, and in mother-bird fashion Momma was more concerned with her crippled offspring than the one who could fly away from the nest.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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