Disabled — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /dis-ˈā-bəld/ dis·abled

Meaning & Definition of Disabled

Disabled (adjective)

  1. impaired or limited by a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition, affected by disability
  2. incapacitated by illness or injury
  3. rendered inoperative (as by being damaged or deliberately altered)

Disabled (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. deprived of the power to perform one or more natural bodily activities

    "the disabled man was unable to climb the stairs without help"

    similar: differently abled, exceptional, impaired
    related: special-needs, hemiplegic, paralyzed, paraplegic, quadriplegic, immobile, immobilized, ailing, diseased, ill, incapacitated, sick, unfit, unhealthy, unsound, unwell
    opposite: able-bodied, abled, nondisabled, unimpaired
    near: bouncing, chipper, fit, hale, healthy, hearty, robust, sound, well, whole, wholesome

Disabled (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause severe or permanent injury to

    "a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash"

    similar: crippled, incapacitated, lamed, maimed, mutilated
    related: dismembered, hamstrung, hobbled, paralyzed, battered, bruised, bunged up, mangled, mauled, roughed (up), gored, lacerated, winged, wounded, disfigured, scarred, kneecapped, broke, damaged, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, bashed, beat, belted, bludgeoned, buffeted, drubbed, hammered, laced, lambasted, licked, pasted, pelted, pommeled, pounded, pummeled, thumped, banged, boxed, hit, punched, slapped, smacked, smashed, socked, spanked, swatted, swiped, thrashed, thwacked, whacked, flogged, lashed, walloped, whipped, killed, murdered, tormented, tortured
    near: cured, healed, rehabilitated, remedied, doctored, fixed, mended, patched, rejuvenated, renewed, repaired, restored

  2. to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move

    "disabled the controls for unauthorized users"

    similar: crippled, hamstrung, immobilized, incapacitated, paralyzed, prostrated
    related: attenuated, debilitated, enervated, enfeebled, sapped, tired, undercut, undermined, weakened, hobbled, lamed, maimed, mutilated, knocked out
    near: energized, galvanized, invigorated, vitalized, fortified, strengthened, empowered, freshened, refreshed, refreshened, regenerated, rejuvenated, restored, revitalized, revived

Related Entry: Disable (verb)

Disable is a different word from Disabled. The synonyms below are for disable, not for disabled.

  1. to cause severe or permanent injury to

    "a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash"

    similar: cripple, incapacitate, lame, maim, mutilate
    related: dismember, hamstring, hobble, paralyze, batter, bruise, bung up, mangle, maul, rough (up), gore, lacerate, wing, wound, disfigure, scar, kneecap, break, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, bash, beat, belt, bludgeon, buffet, drub, hammer, lace, lambaste, lick, paste, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, thump, bang, box, hit, punch, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, swat, swipe, thrash, thwack, whack, flog, lash, wallop, whip, kill, murder, torment, torture
    near: cure, heal, rehabilitate, remedy, doctor, fix, mend, patch, rejuvenate, renew, repair, restore

  2. to render powerless, ineffective, or unable to move

    "disabled the controls for unauthorized users"

    similar: cripple, hamstring, immobilize, incapacitate, paralyze, prostrate
    related: attenuate, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, tire, undercut, undermine, weaken, hobble, lame, maim, mutilate, knock out
    near: energize, galvanize, invigorate, vitalize, fortify, strengthen, empower, freshen, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, restore, revitalize, revive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Disabled

The most common words with a similar meaning to Disabled:

differently abled, exceptional, impaired, crippled, incapacitated, lamed, maimed, mutilated, hamstrung, immobilized, paralyzed, prostrated

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Disabled

Words with the opposite meaning of Disabled:

able-bodied, abled, nondisabled, unimpaired

Related Words for Disabled

special-needs, hemiplegic, paraplegic, quadriplegic, immobile, ailing, diseased, ill, sick, unfit, unhealthy, unsound, unwell, dismembered, hobbled, battered, bruised, bunged up, mangled, mauled, roughed (up), gored, lacerated, winged, wounded, disfigured, scarred, kneecapped, broke, damaged

Near Antonyms of Disabled

bouncing, chipper, fit, hale, healthy, hearty, robust, sound, well, whole, wholesome, cured, healed, rehabilitated, remedied, doctored, fixed, mended, patched, rejuvenated, renewed, repaired, restored, energized, galvanized, invigorated, vitalized, fortified, strengthened, empowered

Origin & Etymology of Disabled

from past participle of disable

First known use: 1633

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Disabled

Words & Phrases Containing Disabled

disabled list, intellectually disabled, the disabled

Frequently Asked Questions about Disabled

What does "Disabled" mean?

"Disabled" means impaired or limited by a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition, affected by disability. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: impaired or limited by a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition, affected by disability. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Disabled"?

Other words for "Disabled" include differently abled, exceptional, impaired, crippled, incapacitated, lamed, maimed and mutilated. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Disabled" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Disabled"?

There are 93 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Disabled". Common alternatives include differently abled, exceptional, impaired, crippled, incapacitated, lamed, maimed, mutilated, hamstrung and immobilized.

What is the opposite of "Disabled"?

Antonyms of "Disabled" include able-bodied, abled, nondisabled and unimpaired. Near antonyms include bouncing, chipper, fit and hale.

How do you use "Disabled" in a sentence?

Examples of "Disabled" in a sentence: "the disabled man was unable to climb the stairs without help"; "a promising athlete who was severely disabled in a plane crash"; "disabled the controls for unauthorized users".

Is "Disabled" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Disabled" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Disabled" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Disabled" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Disabled"?

"Disabled" is pronounced /dis-ˈā-bəld/ and divided into syllables as dis·abled.