handicapped
Americanadjective
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Sometimes Offensive. physically or mentally disabled.
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of or designed for handicapped people.
handicapped parking.
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Sports. (of a competitor) marked by, being under, or having a handicap.
a handicapped player.
noun
adjective
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physically disabled
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psychol denoting a person whose social behaviour or emotional reactions are in some way impaired
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(of a competitor) assigned a handicap
Sensitive Note
See cripple.
Usage
Nowadays the use of the word handicapped to describe people with disabilities is generally considered inappropriate. It is preferable to refer to someone as having a disability and to talk about people with disabilities
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of handicapped
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.
Despite a fine run when second to Panic Attack in the Coral Gold Cup in November, he simply doesn't look well enough handicapped to win.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Byron Callan, a defense analyst at Washington, D.C.–based Capital Alpha Partners, which advises investors on government policy matters, has handicapped five possible outcomes in Iran.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
On the ground in Bosnia, we were handicapped daily by extremely contradictory and restrictive orders written back in the U.N.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
Some clearly display handicapped plaques as they go to the store.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2025
Ulbrickson summoned up a deeper level of despair, calling the Bears the clear favorites before lamenting, “We have been handicapped this year by inclement weather.”
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
