crippling
Causing total collapse
Crippling describes something that causes severe damage or disability.
A crippling injury leaves someone unable to function normally.
Crippling debt is so overwhelming it prevents financial recovery.
Crippling fear paralyzes action.
The word implies not just harm but impairment so severe that normal functioning becomes impossible: The sanctions had a crippling effect on the economy.
Causing severe impairment
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- incapacitatingMaking unable to act
- immobilizingPreventing any motion
- disablingCausing loss of function
paralyzing · enfeebling · prostrating · atrophy · dysfunction · paresis · spasticity · quadriplegia
Intensely excessive in force
- crushingOverwhelming in intensity
- devastatingCausing severe damage
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- massiveExtremely large and heavy
staggering · unbearable · insurmountable · suffocating · exhausting · punishing · ruinous · catastrophic
Money owed another
- sanctionsPunitive international restrictions
- taxesMandatory government payments
- inflationSustained price level increase
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
recession · costs · fines · tariffs · penalties · expenses · interest · bankruptcy
Persistent apprehensive distress
- fearEmotional response to threat
- depressionProlonged low state
- doubtLack of firm belief
- griefIntense sorrow from loss
shame · guilt · insecurity · loneliness · panic · dread · despair · hopelessness
Rigid administrative system
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
dysfunction · gridlock · understaffing · underfunding · mismanagement · bottleneck · backlog · red tape
debilitating
Causing severe impairment
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- incapacitatingMaking unable to act
- immobilizingPreventing any motion
disabling · paralyzing · enfeebling · prostrating · atrophy · dysfunction · paresis · spasticity · quadriplegia · paraplegia
overwhelming
Intensely excessive in force
- crushingOverwhelming in intensity
- devastatingCausing severe damage
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
massive · staggering · unbearable · insurmountable · suffocating · exhausting · punishing · ruinous · catastrophic · paralyzing
debt
Money owed another
- sanctionsPunitive international restrictions
- taxesMandatory government payments
- inflationSustained price level increase
austerity · recession · costs · fines · tariffs · penalties · expenses · interest · bankruptcy · poverty
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
- fearEmotional response to threat
- depressionProlonged low state
- doubtLack of firm belief
grief · shame · guilt · insecurity · loneliness · panic · dread · despair · hopelessness · helplessness
bureaucracy
Rigid administrative system
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- inefficiencySuboptimal use of resources
shortage · dysfunction · gridlock · understaffing · underfunding · mismanagement · bottleneck · backlog · red tape · stagnation
- exhaustingdraining, taxing, tiring, exhausting, fatiguing
- impairmentsimpairment, disability, paralysis, incapacity, blindness
- overwhelmingoverwhelming, overpowering, crushing, engulfing, smothering
- harmharming, injury, hurting, abuse, injuring
- injuriesbruise, fracture, sprain, fractures, concussion
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
cripplingenabling
Making something feasible
empowering · strengthening · liberating · facilitating · invigorating
cripplingstrengthening
Increasing power or solidity
healing · healthful · restorative · fortifying · invigorating
- crippling injuryHarm causing lasting disability
- crippling debt
- crippling fear
- crippling blow
- crippling diseaseIllness causing severe impairment