hamstring
Americannoun
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(in humans and other primates) any of the tendons that bound the ham of the knee.
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(in quadrupeds) the great tendon at the back of the hock.
verb (used with object)
noun
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anatomy any of the tendons at the back of the knee
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the large tendon at the back of the hock in the hind leg of a horse, etc
verb
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to cripple by cutting the hamstring of
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to ruin or thwart
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hamstringsimple
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hamstringssimple
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have hamstrungperfect
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has hamstrungperfect
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am hamstringingprogressive
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are hamstringingprogressive
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is hamstringingprogressive
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have been hamstringingperfect progressive
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has been hamstringingperfect progressive
Past
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hamstrungsimple
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had hamstrungperfect
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was hamstringingprogressive
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were hamstringingprogressive
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had been hamstringingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hamstring
Explanation
Your hamstrings are groups of muscles and tendons between your hips and knees. If you pull a hamstring while running or jumping, you'll feel pain at the back of your thigh. Ouch! The hamstring muscle group is one of the most powerful in your body — attached to the knee and hip, these are the muscles and tendons that make it possible for you to run, walk, and jump. It's fairly common for athletes to injure their hamstrings and be (temporarily) immobilized. Fittingly, hamstring is also a verb meaning "render powerless." So an astronaut might complain that a lack of funding will hamstring NASA, making planned Mars voyages impossible.
Vocabulary lists containing hamstring
This Week in Words: December 1 - 7 , 2018
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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Planet Middle School
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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:
In addition to his recovery from the sickness bug, Rice has also been carrying a neural problem for several months, affecting his lower back and hamstring.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
In the meantime, lower courts should test the limits of Slaughter by enjoining removals that hamstring agencies by denying them a quorum.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Ruiz played with a hamstring injury at Cypress College last season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Rice has been suffering with a neural issue, affecting his hamstring and lower back, and it has been exacerbated by illness.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
For hamstring stretches, one person lies on the grass on his back with his leg straight up, while the other person leans in and slowly presses the leg a little higher.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
In practice, this means “exercises that build your butt while minimizing growth in the quads, hamstrings and thighs.”
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
With England attacking in midfield, George Ford cranked back his foot and launched a steepling, wobbling spiral bomb deep into the New Zealand 22m, the 32-year-old's pilates-loosened hamstrings stretched near vertical by the effort.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025
Uphills exact a harsh toll on an athlete’s hamstrings, glutes and calves while spiking their heart rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2025
Similarly, when the knee is bent at a 90-degree angle, the hamstrings shorten and tighten.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2025
“In a bit, it’ll feel good. Like your hamstrings sighing.”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The midseason trades helped the Clippers start replenishing their draft capital after the blockbuster move that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to L.A. in 2019 hamstrung their assets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Manifold’s abrupt departure adds to the leadership turmoil that has hamstrung BP in recent years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
The Dutch Restitution Committee, which advises on looted Nazi art, is also hamstrung as it cannot compel private individuals to return artworks.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
The longer time you have to invest your $100,000, the more likely you won’t be hamstrung by a correction.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
For months their intellects had been hamstrung by mystery.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
“My biggest concern is that they may be hamstringing themselves in developing their model,” CFRA’s Snyder said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026
Bank executives say rewards programs could drain their firms of deposits, hamstringing their ability to lend.
From Barron's ● Mar. 9, 2026
Challenges to get it done include market conditions that are hamstringing other planned real estate developments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
But it would take another two months for me to shake the thought of myself as an employee — an image that was hamstringing my income.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2025
Snatches of hunting tales Kayak Bill had told came to her—tales of northern huskies hamstringing wild beasts.
From Where the Sun Swings North by Willoughby, Barrett
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.
