What does cripple mean?
Cripple functions both as a noun and a verb. As a noun, it historically denoted a person or animal unable to walk properly because of injury or disability affecting the limbs, but used of people it is now widely considered offensive and has been largely replaced by respectful alternatives such as 'person with a disability.' As a verb, cripple remains thoroughly standard and means to disable someone physically or, far more commonly today, to severely damage or weaken something abstract — an economy, a company, a transport network, or a plan. In this figurative sense it appears constantly in journalism and everyday speech: strikes cripple industries, debts cripple households, cyberattacks cripple hospitals. The derived adjective 'crippling' is especially frequent and carries no stigma, describing burdens so severe they effectively immobilize their target, as in 'crippling costs' or 'crippling self-doubt.' The word thus pairs a dated, sensitive noun with a vigorous, indispensable verb, making awareness of context essential to using it well.
A person or animal unable to walk properly because of damage or disability affecting the legs or feet.
"In earlier centuries, injured soldiers who survived were often left as cripples."
When applied to people, this sense is now widely considered offensive; prefer 'person with a disability' or other neutral terminology.
To cause someone to become physically disabled, or (more commonly in modern usage) to severely damage, weaken, or render ineffective something such as an organization, economy, or system.
"A single ransomware attack crippled the hospital's entire network for days."
The plural is standard but the term itself should generally not be used of people; plural usage appears mostly in historical writing or when referring collectively to damaged objects or systems.
"The storm left dozens of fishing boats as cripples in the harbor."
The word 'cripple' shares an ancient family tree with the everyday word 'creep' — both trace back to the same prehistoric root meaning to bend the body.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cripple
Cripple descends from Old English crypel, formed from a Germanic root that also produced the verb creep (Old English creopan), both ultimately deriving from a prehistoric word meaning 'to bend the body' — one branch yielding crawling motion, the other a bent or lame gait. The same Germanic root survives in continental relatives such as German Krüppel and Dutch kreupel. The figurative sense of damaging or weakening something non-physical developed by at least the early modern period and now dominates everyday usage.
Related word forms
How cripple is actually used
As a noun applied to people, this word is now widely regarded as offensive and derogatory; neutral terms such as 'person with a disability' are strongly preferred in modern usage. The verb form ('to cripple') remains entirely standard and uncontroversial, especially when describing damage to systems, economies, or infrastructure. The adjectival participle 'crippling' is common and neutral, as in 'crippling debt' or 'crippling arthritis'.
Easily confused with cripple
Crumple means to crush into folds or collapse, while cripple refers to disabling a person or severely damaging something.