cripple

verb
UK: /ˈkrɪpl/
US: /ˈkrɪpəl/

  1. To severely damage or disable someone or something.

    1. The accident could cripple him for life. [ ] [ ]
    2. High inflation can cripple a country's economic growth if left unchecked. [ ] [ ]

  2. To cause serious damage to something, making it weaker or less effective.

    1. A strike crippled the factory for weeks. [ ] [ ]
    2. Lack of investment can cripple innovation and future development projects. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

disable incapacitate damage weaken impair lame
cripple noun

  1. A person who is unable to walk or move normally because of a disability or injury to their legs or back.

    1. He became a cripple after the car crash. [ ] [ ]
    2. In the past, people used the word cripple to describe disabled individuals but it is now offensive. [ ] [ ]
cripple adjective

  1. Severely damaged or unable to function properly.

    1. The crippled car was towed away. [ ] [ ]
    2. The crippled economy struggled to recover after the financial crisis. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "cripple" in English means: To severely damage or disable someone or something., To cause serious damage to something, making it weaker or less effective..

The phonetic transcription of "cripple" is /ˈkrɪpl/ in British English and /ˈkrɪpəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cripple": disable, incapacitate, damage, weaken, impair, lame.

Example usage of "cripple": "The accident could cripple him for life.". More examples on the page.