hand·i·cap
ˈhan-di-ˌkap 
-dē-
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
handicapped; handicapping
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 in a Sentence
Noun
His shyness was a handicap in his job.
She's been practicing a lot and her handicap has gone down from 18 to 12.
Verb
It's very hard to handicap the election at this point.
the baseball player's small size did not handicap him in the least
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Barone, Time, 19 July 2017
LNK classes have done everything from installing handicap doors at Redwood to creating a Healthy Newborn site for Transitions that serves mothers going through addiction recovery.
—Brent Cooper, Cincinnati.com, 17 July 2017
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Gary Williams, still in many ways the patriarch of Maryland basketball, was asked how much the chaos and bitterness of the last two weeks will handicap the younger Williams’ start in College Park.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In 1936, famed Olympic runner Jesse Owens raced a horse in a 100-yard dash and won thanks in part to a 40-yard handicap).
—Emily Barone, Time, 19 July 2017
LNK classes have done everything from installing handicap doors at Redwood to creating a Healthy Newborn site for Transitions that serves mothers going through addiction recovery.
—Brent Cooper, Cincinnati.com, 17 July 2017
Verb
The Yankees added pitching this offseason, but injuries to Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, and Marcus Stroman have handicapped the Bronx Bombers.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Gary Williams, still in many ways the patriarch of Maryland basketball, was asked how much the chaos and bitterness of the last two weeks will handicap the younger Williams’ start in College Park.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handicap
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handicap. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handicap
1 of 2 noun
hand·i·cap
ˈhan-di-ˌkap
1
: a race or contest in which competitors with different levels of ability are given an artificial advantage or disadvantage to equalize chances of winning
also
: the advantage or disadvantage given
2
a
: a disadvantage that makes progress or success difficult
being lazy was a handicap
b
sometimes offensive
: a physical disability
handicap
2 of 2 verb
handicapped; handicapping
1
: to give a handicap to
2
: to put at a disadvantage
Medical Definition
handicap
noun
hand·i·cap
ˈhan-di-ˌkap
1
: a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult
2
sometimes offensive
: a physical disability
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share