cripple
/ˈkrɪpəl/
noun
- A person who is unable to walk or move normally due to injury, illness, or a physical condition. (Note: This term is now often considered offensive; use 'person with a disability' instead.)
- In the past, a cripple was often forced to beg on the streets.
- She refused to be treated like a cripple and insisted on doing everything herself.
- The old war veteran was a cripple who walked with a cane.
verb
- To cause someone or something to become unable to move or function normally; to severely damage or disable.
- A sudden injury can cripple an athlete's career.
- The company's finances were crippled by the unexpected lawsuit.
- The snowstorm crippled the city's transportation system for days.
- To cause someone to be unable to walk or move properly due to injury or illness.
- He was crippled in a car accident and now uses a wheelchair.
- Polio has crippled millions of children worldwide.
- The disease crippled many people in the region before a cure was found.
Antonyms