crippling
adjective
[ ˈkrɪplɪŋ ]
• causing a person to become unable to walk or move properly.
• "a crippling disease"
• causing a severe and almost insuperable problem.
• "interest rates rose to a crippling 13 per cent"
cripple
verb
• cause severe and disabling damage to; deprive of the ability to function normally.
• "developing countries are crippled by their debts"
Similar:
ruin,
destroy,
wipe out,
crush,
break,
impair,
hamstring,
hamper,
impede,
cramp,
spoil,
sabotage,
scotch,
scupper,
bring to a standstill,
paralyse,
enfeeble,
weaken,
render powerless,
put out of action,
put out of business,
bankrupt,
make bankrupt,
make insolvent,
impoverish,
reduce to penury,
bring someone to their knees,
clean out,
put the kibosh on,
do for,
rain on someone's parade,
bring to naught,
vitiate,
beggar,
pauperize,
• cause (someone) to become unable to walk or move normally.
• "a young student was crippled for life"
Similar:
disable,
paralyse,
immobilize,
incapacitate,
debilitate,
maim,
impair,
damage,
injure,
hamstring,
torpefy,
Origin:
Old English: from two words, crypel and crēopel, both of Germanic origin and related to creep.
