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.

On Monday, Faye named senior economist Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as prime minister, saying the new appointee had the expertise to steer Senegal out of its crippling debt.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

But this district — with seven elementary and two middle schools — is enduring a crippling strike, affecting about 3,400 students drawn from Santa Fe Springs and parts of Norwalk and Downey.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

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

It has left many wondering if a deal, if it's ever done, will finally lift crippling sanctions and bring the change they want to see.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

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

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

crippling

Example Sentences

Related Words