cripple

1 of 3

noun

crip·​ple ˈkri-pəl How to pronounce cripple (audio)
plural cripples
1
a
offensive : a lame or partly disabled person or animal
b
: someone who is disabled or deficient in a specified manner
a social cripple
2
: something flawed or imperfect

cripple

2 of 3

adjective

offensive
: being disabled, flawed, or imperfect

cripple

3 of 3

verb

crippled; crippling ˈkri-p(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce cripple (audio) ; cripples

transitive verb

1
sometimes offensive : to deprive of the use of a limb and especially a leg
2
: to deprive of capability for service or of strength, efficiency, or wholeness
an economy crippled by inflation
crippler noun
cripplingly adverb

Examples of cripple in a Sentence

Noun He returned from war a cripple. Verb Higher taxes could cripple small businesses. an economy crippled by inflation
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
About six weeks ago, hackers crippled the computer systems of the TV and mobile phone provider Dish Network. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023 Oakland Mills Coach: Chris Brewington Last season: Class 2A state champion Outlook: Losing the talent Oakland Mills did from last year’s outdoor season would cripple most programs, but the Scorpions have reloaded. Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2023 Large-scale withdrawals could cripple banks that are not well-capitalized. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 That crippled Huawei’s smartphone brand, once one of the world’s biggest. Joe McDonald, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023 Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared, and hospitals filled with malnourished children. Christina Goldbaum, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023 Soon after, sanctions crippled the banking sector, food prices soared and hospitals filled with malnourished children. Yaqoob Akbary Kiana Hayeri, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023 If nothing is done, this could cripple the ISS. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jane Harman, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cripple.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cripel, from Old English crypel; akin to Old English crēopan to creep — more at creep

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cripple was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cripple

Cite this Entry

“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cripple. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cripple

1 of 2 noun
crip·​ple ˈkrip-əl How to pronounce cripple (audio)
sometimes offensive
: a lame or disabled person

cripple

2 of 2 verb
crippled; crippling
ˈkrip-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to take away the use of a limb and especially a leg
was crippled by the accident
2
: to make useless or imperfect
loss of power crippled the city
crippler
-(ə-)lər
noun

Medical Definition

cripple

1 of 3 noun
crip·​ple ˈkrip-əl How to pronounce cripple (audio)
offensive
: an individual having a physical disability and especially a physically impaired leg or foot

cripple

2 of 3 adjective
offensive
: being disabled

cripple

3 of 3 transitive verb
crippled; crippling -(ə)-liŋ How to pronounce cripple (audio) ; cripples
offensive
: to deprive of the use of a limb and especially a leg

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