1. in a way that severely damages, weakens, or restricts something

Examples

• The new taxes were cripplingly expensive for small businesses.
• She suffered from cripplingly low self-esteem.
• The debt became cripplingly burdensome for the young couple.
• His shyness was cripplingly severe in social situations.
• The company faced cripplingly high production costs.
• The student loan payments were cripplingly large relative to her income.