hamstrung

American  

[ham-struhng] / ˈhæmˌstrʌŋ /

adjective

1. having been made powerless or useless; thwarted.

   The candidates also face a housing market crisis, subway strikes, and a hamstrung government.

2. having had the hamstring tendon cut.

   She fell like a hamstrung deer.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of hamstring.

Etymology

Origin of hamstrung

ham ¹ ( def. ) + strung ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Some potential homebuyers are buoyed by massive stock market gains and business profits, while others are hamstrung by inflation and interest rates at their highest levels of the year,” he wrote.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Private equity’s pileup of unsold investments—just shy of 33,000 companies globally worth more than $3 trillion—has hamstrung fundraising and strained relations with fund investors waiting to get money back.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

The longer time you have to invest your $100,000, the more likely you won’t be hamstrung by a correction.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

While Borthwick, as his successor, guided England to within touching distance of the final, he was hamstrung by a lack of preparation.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

His personal charisma and innovative strategies won many battles, but as early as the fall of 1965 Fuller had already realized the need for a new organization, one less hamstrung by federal and local bureaucracies.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

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