crippled
Americanadjective
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Offensive.
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relating to a person who is partially or totally unable to use one or more limbs.
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relating to a person who is disabled or impaired in any way.
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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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing crippled
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.
Mainland investors have been seeking to diversify their holdings in recent years as a debt crisis has crippled the Chinese property sector, long viewed as a safe bet to park assets, analysts told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Iranian officials said the 60-day talks would aim at lifting sanctions that have crippled Tehran’s economy by blocking purchases of its oil and barring most international banks from doing business with the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
The crisis at GKN Aerospace began May 21, when the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the crippled pressurized tank, which was heating up, according to a report issued by state officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
US President Donald Trump told NBC News on Friday that Iran still retained roughly "21, 22 percent" of its missile stockpile despite repeated claims from US officials that Tehran's military capacity had been crippled.
From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026
As I watched, a tiny little wren dropped down from the branches of the red oak and lit on Daisy’s crippled leg.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
