crippling
Crippling (adj) means causing severe damage, weakness, or hardship. Example: “They faced crippling debt after the business failed.”
adj
1
Causing severe damage, weakness, or hardship.
"They faced crippling debt after the business failed."
"She suffers from crippling anxiety before every exam."
"The high cost of capital has a crippling effect on many small firms."
How to use crippling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSo severe that it seriously disables or damages something.
Common pairings
crippling debt
crippling anxiety
crippling pain
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Word forms
- Plural
- cripplings
- Comparative
- more crippling
- Superlative
- most crippling
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They faced _____ debt after the business failed.
Synonyms
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incapacitating
disabling
Related words
Rhymes for crippling
See all rhymes for crippling →Frequently asked questions
What does “crippling” mean?
The word “crippling” means causing severe damage, weakness, or hardship. In plain terms, so severe that it seriously disables or damages something.
How do you use “crippling” in a sentence?
Here is “crippling” used in a sentence: “They faced crippling debt after the business failed.”
What part of speech is “crippling”?
“Crippling” is an adjective.
Is “crippling” a common word?
“Crippling” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.
