crip·ple
| \ ˈkri-pəl
\
\
Definition of cripple
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
sometimes offensive
: a lame or partly disabled person or animal
b
: one that is disabled or deficient in a specified manner
a social cripple
2
: something flawed or imperfect
cripple
adjectiveDefinition of cripple (Entry 2 of 3)
: being lame, flawed, or imperfect
cripple
verb
crippled; crippling\
ˈkri-p(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of cripple (Entry 3 of 3)
1
: to deprive of the use of a limb and especially a leg
the accident left him crippled
2
: to deprive of capability for service or of strength, efficiency, or wholeness
an economy crippled by inflation
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Other Words from cripple
Verb
crippler
\
ˈkri-p(ə-)lər
\
noun
\
noun
cripplingly
\
ˈkri-p(ə-)liŋ-lē
\
adverb
\
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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s team put an emphasis on China’s anti-satellite weaponry, which could be used to sever military communications in a conflict and cripple Western economies.
—
Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 1 Dec. 2020
Will that cripple teams to the point where games must be rescheduled?
—
Mike Jones, USA TODAY, 1 July 2020
Some experts argued that Western countries could never enforce such draconian measures—which curtail human rights and cripple economies—but Italy, shocked by the strain on the health care system in the north of the country, followed suit on 9 March.
—
Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, 18 Mar. 2020
So a future reconciliation bill would not only cripple Obamacare and strip millions of Americans of health coverage obtained via the exchanges, but also kill the Medicaid expansion and throw millions more out of coverage.
—
Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 7 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Career Burnout is a real physical and emotional condition that can cripple us.
—
Jill Griffin, Forbes, 25 June 2021
In this country, U.S. track and field itself seems unable to steer around controversies and public relations disasters that cripple its mainstream appeal.
—
Ken Goe For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 18 June 2021
But as president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer noted over the weekend, the Cubs need to compete now while dealing with injuries — and losing contact hitters such as Hoerner and Matt Duffy shouldn’t cripple an offense.
—
Meghan Montemurro, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2021
ABC News has learned that multiple key swing states and districts are already hemorrhaging experienced poll workers, and experts are warning that the current environment could cripple efforts to recruit and retain replacements.
—
Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 25 June 2021
Its pitch was not about the need to cripple the company for the sake of the planet.
—
Star Tribune, 15 June 2021
Initially, Facebook had planned to cripple the experience to the point where WhatsApp would be unusable.
—
Chris Smith, BGR, 3 June 2021
How about the great irony of hooligans using ransomware called RobbinHood to cripple the entire city of Baltimore in 2019?
—
Washington Post, 13 May 2021
Anxious drivers circled from one filling station to another, gasoline prices rose and thousands of stations were out of fuel in the Southeast on Wednesday as a ransomware attack continued to cripple a vital fuel pipeline.
—
New York Times, 12 May 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cripple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Cripple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cripple. Accessed 29 Jul. 2021.
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More Definitions for cripple
cripple
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cripple
(Entry 1 of 2)
old-fashioned + offensive
: a person who cannot move or walk normally because of a permanent injury (such as a damaged leg or foot) or other physical problem
informal
: a person who has emotional problems that prevent normal behavior with other people
cripple
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cripple (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cause (a person or animal) to be unable to move or walk normally
: to make (something) unable to work normally : to cause great damage to (something)
See the full definition for cripple in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cripple
noun
crip·ple
| \ ˈkri-pəl
\
\
Kids Definition of cripple
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a disabled person who is unable to fully use one or both of his or her arms or legs
Hint:
In the past, this word was not considered offensive. In recent years, however, some people have come to find the word hurtful, and you may offend someone by using it.
cripple
verb
crippled; crippling
Kids Definition of cripple (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to cause to lose the use of one or more arms or legs
The accident crippled the boy.
2
: to make useless or powerless
… fear can so cripple a person that he cannot think or act.— Jean Craighead George, Julie of the Wolves
cripple
noun
crip·ple
| \ ˈkrip-əl
\
\
Medical Definition of cripple
(Entry 1 of 3)
sometimes offensive
: an individual having a physical disability and especially a physically impaired leg or foot
cripple
adjectiveMedical Definition of cripple (Entry 2 of 3)
: being a cripple : lame
cripple
transitive verb
crippled; crippling\
-(ə)-liŋ
\
\
Medical Definition of cripple (Entry 3 of 3)
: to deprive of the use of a limb and especially a leg
crippled by arthritis
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Time Traveler for cripple
The first known use of cripple was before the 12th century
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