crippler

1 8.8

Something that causes great harm and makes people or businesses unable to work

noun
/ˈkrɪplər/

: impedimento

The polio virus, a.k.a. the crippler.
a great crippler

Examples

The nipple crippler.

The Pacifier (2005)
Hey, I only hope you can slip her a crippler.

The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)
"And the number one crippler, for that matter.

Fiction book (1992)
horse-crippler.

Fiction book (1996)
That's… that horse crippler.

Lone Star (1996)
Corruption is a crippler that hinders the progress of society.
The disease was labeled as the leading crippler of young adults, affecting their quality of life.
Many believe that inadequate education is a major crippler of personal growth and success.

Synonyms

mutilator

vscrippler

NSFW

2 9.3

A person who seriously hurts and disfigures people or animals

focuses on harming to disable or seriously injure rather than disfigurement

paralyzer

vscrippler

1 8.2

A person, substance, or thing that makes someone unable to move

also covers serious harm but not only immobilization

injurer

vscrippler

1 6.3

A person who hurts another person

implies more severe or disabling harm than this general causing of injury

damager

vscrippler

1 4.9

A person or thing that causes harm to people and property

specifies serious harm or disabling, not broad physical damage

maimer

vscrippler

NSFW

1 9.9

A person who injures someone badly so they have lasting harm

is broader, covers serious harm or disabling, not only permanent outcomes

trampler

vscrippler

1 7.9

A person or animal that steps on and hurts others

is general for causing serious harm, not limited to stepping method

Antonyms

healer

95 3.9

A person who helps others get better from physical or mental sickness, often using traditional ways

helper

91 1.0

A person who does tasks for others, for example at events

Surface Forms

crippler singular

cripplers plural

Morphology

crippler = cripple (transparent) = cripple + er

This is a regular agentive/instrumental noun formed from the verb 'cripple' plus '-er', so the meaning is easy to derive.

Etymology

Crippler comes from the common word cripple (meaning 'to make lame or disabled') plus the ending -er meaning 'one who' or 'that which'. So a crippler is literally 'one who causes someone to be disabled', which is why today it means someone or something that causes serious harm or long-lasting damage.