Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🤝 Relying for support 🦯 Walking with crutches 🐑 Sheep wool removal
crutching

crutching

8.7
Using someone or something for support in a way that stops you becoming independent
  • noun
  • /ˈkrʌtʃɪŋ/
translation icon : dependencia
  • His constant crutching on his friends made it hard for him to solve problems alone.

Examples

  • She is tired of crutching on her parents for financial support.

  • The team's crutching on outdated methods slowed their progress on the project.

  • Therapists encourage patients to avoid crutching on unhealthy habits during stressful times.

  • Relying on others for help is a form of crutching.

  • His constant crutching on his friends prevents him from becoming more independent.

  • Therapists advise against crutching on unhealthy coping mechanisms during therapy.

  • The company's crutching on outdated practices hinders its ability to innovate.

Synonyms

dependence
vscrutching
60 3.6

Needing another person or thing for help and control

focuses on needing support that may restrict independence or growth
dependency
vscrutching
41 4.4

Needing help from another person or thing to do everyday tasks

applies when reliance reduces independence and stunts development
crutch
vscrutching
30 5.0

Something you use to help you deal with difficult feelings or situations

is about relying in ways that limit independence and personal growth
overdependence
vscrutching
1 4.8

Needing someone or something too much so it causes harm

relies for support but mainly limits independence and growth
dependance
vscrutching
  • Archaic
4.4

Relying on another person or thing instead of being independent

tends to describe reliance that keeps someone from becoming independent

Antonyms

independence
608 3.0

Freedom from control by others, for example when a country is free or a person supports themselves

self-sufficiency
14 5.6

Being able to meet your own needs without help from others

How Dependent

crutching
8.7
dependence
60 3.6
reliance
80 3.2
self-reliance
17 4.1

Surface Forms

crutching singular
crutchings plural

Morphology

crutching = crutch (transparent) = crutch + ing

Derived from the verb 'crutch' with the productive nominal/gerund suffix '-ing'; the figurative meaning 'relying on something' is a straightforward metaphorical extension of 'using a crutch'.

Etymology

Crutching comes from the noun crutch, a physical support you lean on when you cannot stand alone, and that noun is linked to Latin crux meaning 'cross' because early crutch shapes were like a cross. So when we say someone is crutching on a person or idea, we mean they are leaning on that support instead of standing by themselves.