# crippled

/ˈkɹɪpəɫd/ (US) · /kɹˈɪpəld/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crippled
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. severely damaged

adjective · CEFR B2

damaged so badly that it cannot work or function properly.

For teachers: rendered unable to function or operate effectively due to severe damage or systemic failure.

- The city's crippled power grid left thousands of people without heat during the storm.
- The company struggled to recover from a crippled supply chain after the main factory was forced to close unexpectedly.

## Examples

- The heavy snowstorm left the city's transport system crippled.
- A major cyberattack crippled the hospital's internal servers, forcing staff to use paper records for several days.
- The economy remained crippled for nearly a decade following the collapse of its primary export market, as internal debt prevented any meaningful reinvestment in infrastructure.

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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.