obstacle
Americannoun
-
obstacles
plural
noun
-
a person or thing that opposes or hinders something
-
a fence or hedge used in showjumping
Synonym Usage
Obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, impediment refer to something that interferes with or prevents action or progress. An obstacle is something, material or nonmaterial, that stands in the way of literal or figurative progress: Lack of imagination is an obstacle to one's advancement. An obstruction is something that more or less completely blocks a passage: A blood clot is an obstruction to the circulation. A hindrance keeps back by interfering and delaying: Interruptions are a hindrance to one's work. An impediment interferes with proper functioning: an impediment in one's speech.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of obstacle
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin obstāculum, equivalent to obstā(re) “to face, block, hinder” ( ob- ob- + stāre stand ) + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
When the road is blocked ahead of you, that blockage is an obstacle that keeps you from getting where you want to go. The Latin word that is the source of the word obstacle combines parts that mean "to stand in the way of," so an obstacle is something that stands against what you want to do. In a dramatic piece, the obstacle is the person or thing that keeps a character from achieving his or her goal. This creates the conflict in a play: since conflict is what drama is all about, the obstacle is the source of all drama.
Vocabulary lists containing obstacle
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Code Talker
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"Earth and Space"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A teenager already progressing through an English academy presents no equivalent immigration obstacle.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
In fact, experts generally hold that splitting the shots will decrease vaccination rates for all three diseases by erecting an unnecessary obstacle to the shots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The legislature recently relaxed a foreign-ownership rule that has been an obstacle to the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink, the world’s largest provider of satellite internet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Getting enough sunlight onto the extremely small nonlinear crystal created another major obstacle.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
The way Anthony saw things, each time one of their leaders married, it created one more obstacle, one more distraction that would interfere with the progress of suffrage and women’s rights.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
A few of the obstacles layered in — Ed’s struggle to write and some show-night personality conflicts — feel a tad obligatory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mikawa's musical comedy show Egg is about the obstacles that artists face, which she said is similar to what she is going through.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In sub-Saharan Africa, diseases including trypanosomiasis and ehrlichiosis may have created serious obstacles for dogs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Murrill, the Louisiana attorney general, said her office’s investigation is only just beginning but acknowledged that states including her own would face obstacles in pursuing charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Wind Being,” said Nathan, “do you remember how long this hall is? Or what the obstacles are?”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
