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Dictionary.com
Definitions

crippling

ADJECTIVE
harmful
Synonyms
STRONGEST
adverse bad catastrophic damaging destructive detrimental disadvantageous disastrous inimical noxious painful pernicious risky ruinous sinful toxic unhealthy unsafe
WEAK
baleful baneful calamitous cataclysmic consumptive corroding corrupting deleterious dire evil harassing incendiary internecine malefic malicious malignant menacing mischievous murderous nocuous pestiferous pestilential sinister subversive undermining unwholesome virulent
Antonyms
STRONGEST
advantageous aiding assisting beneficial favorable fortunate good harmless healthy helpful honest kind lucky profitable safe upright
ADJECTIVE
ruinous
Synonyms
STRONGEST
calamitous cataclysmic catastrophic damaging deadly dire fatal harmful hurtful murderous pernicious
WEAK
annihilative baleful baneful deleterious depleting draining exhausting extravagant fateful immoderate impoverishing injurious noxious shattering suicidal unfortunate wasteful withering wrackful
Antonyms
STRONGEST
favorable fortunate harmless healthful helpful kind nice trivial unimportant wholesome
WEAK
advantageous assisting beneficial
ADJECTIVE
tumbledown
Synonyms
WEAK
annihilative baleful baneful calamitous cataclysmic catastrophic damaging deadly deleterious depleting dilapidated dire draining exhausting extravagant fatal fateful harmful hurtful immoderate impoverishing injurious murderous noxious pernicious ramshackle rundown shattering suicidal unfortunate wasteful withering wrackful
NOUN
disarmament
Synonyms
STRONGEST
demilitarization demobilization
STRONG
conquest de-escalation disablement disqualification freeze occupation pacification subjugation
WEAK
arms limitation arms reduction neutralizing paralyzing rendering powerless
Antonyms
STRONG
surrender yielding
WEAK
arming buildup

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A crippling blow isn’t guaranteed against a regime armed with buffers and a long history of defying economic squeezes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Yet instead of supporting this sector, U.S. sanctions are crippling it.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Iran has lashed out at Gulf nations, long seen as a relative safe haven in a volatile region, hammering the tourism industry and crippling global air travel as their major hubs come under attack.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Some viewers see it as a thinly veiled endorsement of the policy - hailed in the film as a crippling masterstroke to weed out fake currency from Pakistan.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

This was 1987, and Iran and Iraq were in the midst of their long and crippling war.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers