hamper

To hamper means to hold back or impede something or someone, as in The road crew hampered traffic, causing a line of cars that went back for miles.

Figuratively, hamper can mean to interfere with or diminish, as in The singers practicing in the next room really hampered my ability to study.

Related to this in nautical terms, a hamper is gear that is necessary but gets in the way.

There is another sense of the noun hamper that comes from a different origin. This hamper is a large basket, often made of wicker (or something that looks like wicker) and having a cover. Most often, this type of hamper is associated with dirty clothes (a laundry or clothes hamper), but there are lots of things a hamper can hold, like a picnic lunch or small toys.

Example: I hope this rain doesn’t end up hampering the party at all.

The first records of the verb hamper come from the early 1300s. It comes from the Middle English hampren, which may have come from the Old English hamm, meaning “enclosure.” The first records of the noun hamper meaning “basket” come from the late 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Old French hanapier, meaning “to hold a drinking vessel.”

In the UK, a hamper can refer to not just the basket but also its contents, especially when it’s food. If your cousin sends you a hamper for your birthday, expect it to have lots of delicious treats in it—rather than their dirty laundry.

What are some other forms related to hamper?

• hamperedly (adverb)
• hamperedness (noun)
• hamperer (noun)
• unhampered (adjective)

What are some synonyms for hamper?

• basket
• bin
• block
• curb
• frustrate

What are some words that share a root or word element with hamper? 

• hem
• hanaper

What are some words that often get used in discussing hamper?

• clothes
• laundry
• movement
• stuck

Hamper is used equally to mean “to hinder” and “a large basket.”

ikea furniture is supposed to be easy to put together yet somehow a laundry hamper has taken me 2 hours, 3 customer support phone calls, and a lot of screaming

— James Charles (@jamescharles) September 27, 2018

I never thought I’d ever express my frustration over the way this country’s internet service has made me feel that I’m paying a lot more than I’m actually getting. We constantly speak of progress but at times it’s the very people who can do something about it that hamper it. Sad.

— GARY VALENCIANO (@GaryValenciano1) October 1, 2018

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for hamper?

A. block
B. hinder
C. impede
D. aid