crutch
crutch Lexical Profile
crutch Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A long stick with a crosspiece at the top, used as a support under the armpit to assist a person with an injured foot or leg in walking.
"After fracturing his ankle on the ice, he had to use crutches for six weeks."
Anything that a person relies on excessively for emotional or psychological support.
"She realized that her constant joking was merely a crutch to avoid dealing with her underlying anxiety."
• verb
To walk or move with the assistance of crutches.
"He slowly crutched his way down the long hospital hallway."
To support or prop up on or as if on crutches.
"The failing company was crutched by a massive influx of government subsidies."
Word Nuance & Usage
While literally a helpful mobility tool, the figurative use of 'crutch' almost always carries a negative connotation, implying an unhealthy, excessive, or weak dependency on something rather than true independence.
• Rhymes for crutch
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'crycc' meaning staff or crutch, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'kruk' and German 'Krücke'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.