1. Something that interferes with (or delays) action or progress
   "The high cost of tuition acted as a handicap to many potential students";
   - hindrance, hinderance [rare], deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk [Brit], check
    
2. Advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning
   "The golfer was given a handicap of three strokes"
    
3. [archaic] A physical, mental, or developmental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities
   "reading handicap";
   - disability, disablement, impairment

1. Put at a disadvantage
   "The brace I have to wear is handicapping my movements";
   - hinder, hamper
    
2. Injure permanently
   "The accident handicapped him for life";
   - disable, invalid, incapacitate
    
3. Attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant
   "The bookmaker handicapped the race"

Derived forms: handicaps, handicapping, handicapped

Type of: advantage, bias, difficultness, difficulty, disadvantage, disfavor [US], disfavour [Brit, Cdn], injure, skew, softness, unfitness, vantage, wound

Encyclopedia: Handicap