hamstrung

[ ham-struhng ]

adjective

1. having been made powerless or useless; thwarted:

   The candidates also face a housing market crisis, subway strikes, and a hamstrung government.

2. having had the hamstring tendon cut:

   She fell like a hamstrung deer.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of hamstring ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of hamstrung¹

ham ¹( def ) + strung ( def )

Example Sentences

The new ownership say they do not want to be hamstrung by high wages as the previous regime were.

From BBC

And it’s quite a letdown, arriving 90 minutes into the courtroom drama and still hamstrung by vocal restraint.

From Los Angeles Times

Veterinarian Jennifer Scarlett, who runs the San Francisco SPCA, said efforts to crack down on the underground puppy market exposed by The Times is hamstrung by the state’s failure to keep the records.

From Los Angeles Times

But leaders have been hamstrung in their efforts to eradicate the inked groups, in part because being in a gang was never explicitly grounds for firing.

From Los Angeles Times

But as Biden’s second in command, she was also seen as hamstrung and restricted from getting out in front of him on the campaign trail.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• debilitated
• disabled
• impaired
• incapacitated
• limited
• maimed
• paralytic
• paralyzed
• restricted