# emotional cripple

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/emotional-cripple
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A person who has been rendered indecisive, alienated, uncaring, confused, or helpless through experiencing debilitating emotions, such as worry, fear, panic, despair, etc.

## Examples

- He acts like an emotional cripple whenever he talks about his past.
- After years of toxic relationships, she felt like an emotional cripple who could no longer trust anyone.
- The protagonist, long haunted by his childhood trauma, remained an emotional cripple, unable to form the deep connections he desperately craved.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.