plural handicaps
1
sometimes offensive
: a physical or mental condition that may limit what a person can do : a physical or mental disability
a mental/physical handicap
Note: Some people consider the word handicap offensive in this sense and prefer the word disability.
2
: a problem, situation, or event that makes progress or success difficult
His shyness was a handicap in his job.
3
golf
: a number that shows a golfer's level of skill and that is used to allow golfers of different abilities to compete with each other
She's been practicing a lot and her handicap has gone down from 18 to 12.
4
: a horse race in which some horses are required to carry more weight so that all the horses in the race will have an equal chance of winning
handicaps; handicapped; handicapping
1
: to make success or progress difficult for (someone)
—usually used as (be) handicapped
He was handicapped by his extreme shyness.
2
US
: to make a judgment about the likely winner of a race or contest
handicap the horses in a race = handicap a race
It's very hard to handicap the election at this point.
Cite this Entry
“Handicap.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/handicap. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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