handicap

¹hand·i·cap

noun \ˈhan-di-ˌkap, -dē-\

Definition of HANDICAP

1

a : a race or contest in which an artificial advantage is given or disadvantage imposed on a contestant to equalize chances of winning

b : an advantage given or disadvantage imposed usually in the form of points, strokes, weight to be carried, or distance from the target or goal

2

a : a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult

b sometimes offensive : a physical disability

Examples of HANDICAP

1. His shyness was a handicap in his job.
2. She's been practicing a lot and her handicap has gone down from 18 to 12.

Origin of HANDICAP

obsolete English handicap, a game in which forfeit money was held in a cap, from hand in cap

First Known Use: 1754

Related to HANDICAP

Synonyms

debit, disbenefit, downside, drawback, disadvantage, incommodity, liability, minus, negative, strike

Antonyms

advantage, asset, edge, plus

Related Words

albatross, millstone, stranglehold; disability, impairment; failing, shortcoming; bar, catch, check, clog, crimp, embarrassment, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, manacle, obstacle, obstruction, rub, shackle, stop, trammel

Near Antonyms

vantage; head start, jump, lead, margin, start; ascendancy (also ascendency), better, command, control, drop, mastery, predominance, superiority, supremacy, transcendence, upper hand; prerogative, privilege; break, opportunity; aid, assistance, help

Rhymes with HANDICAP

afterclap, baseball cap, beat the rap, blasting cap, body wrap, booby trap, contour map, cradle cap, gangsta rap, giddyap, gimme cap, gingersnap, inky cap, medigap, on the map, overlap, photomap, rattletrap, relief map, service cap, shoulder strap, spinal tap, stocking cap, thinking cap, thunderclap, Tonle Sap, tourist trap, water gap, weather map, wentletrap

²handicap

transitive verb

handicappedhandicap·ping

Definition of HANDICAP

1

a : to give a handicap to

b : to assess the relative winning chances of (contestants) or the likely winner of (a contest)

2

: to put at a disadvantage

Examples of HANDICAP

1. It's very hard to handicap the election at this point.
2. <the baseball player's small size did not handicap him in the least>

First Known Use of HANDICAP

1852

Related to HANDICAP

Synonyms

clog, cramp, embarrass, encumber, fetter, handcuff, hamper, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, short-circuit, stymie, tie up, trammel

Antonyms

aid, assist, facilitate, help

Related Words

balk, check, constrain, curb, rein, restrain; bind, chain, halter, leash, tether, tie; arrest, brake, delay, retain, retard; barricade, block, blockade, roadblock; bog (down), mire; choke, smother, stifle, strangle, suffocate; baffle, foil, frustrate, stump, thwart; derail, disrupt, sabotage; muzzle, repress, suppress; confine, hedge (in), hem (in)

Near Antonyms

clear, make way, open, unclog, unplug, unstop; free, liberate, release, untie; loosen, smooth; encourage, further, promote

hand·i·cap

noun \ˈhan-di-ˌkap\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of HANDICAP

1

: a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult

2

sometimes offensive : a physical disability

handicap

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In sports and games, a method of offsetting the varying abilities or characteristics of competitors in order to equalize their chances of winning. Handicapping takes many, often complicated, forms. In horse racing, a track official known as the handicapper may assign weights to horses according to their speed in previous performances; the presumed fastest horse must carry the most weight. In golf, two unequal players may have a close match by allowing the poorer player a handicap, a certain number of uncounted strokes based on earlier performances. In sailboat racing, dissimilar boats compete under handicapping formulas that add time to the faster boats' actual elapsed time for a race; thus, the winner of a race may not be the first to finish but rather the boat that performs best in relation to its design. See also bookmaking; gambling.