hinder

¹

[hin-der]

verb (used with object)

1. to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede.

   The storm hindered our progress.

   Synonyms: trammel, obstruct, encumber
   Antonyms: encourage

2. to prevent from doing, acting, or happening; stop.

   to hinder a man from committing a crime.

   Synonyms: deter, block

verb (used without object)

1. to be an obstacle or impediment.

hinder

²

[hahyn-der]

adjective

1. situated at the rear or back; posterior.

   the hinder part of a carcass.

noun

1. Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S.,  the buttocks.

hinder

¹

/ ˈhɪndə /

verb

1. to be or get in the way of (someone or something); hamper

2. (tr) to prevent

hinder

²

/ ˈhaɪndə /

adjective

1. (prenominal) situated at or further towards the back or rear; posterior

   the hinder parts

Other Word Forms

• hinderer noun
• hindering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hinder¹

First recorded before 1000; from Middle English hindren, Old English hindrian “to hold back,” equivalent to hinder hinder ² + -ian, causative verb suffix

Origin of hinder²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; compare Old English hinder (adverb) “behind”; cognate with German hinter (preposition) “behind”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hinder¹

Old English hindrian; related to Old Norse hindra, Old High German hintarōn

Origin of hinder²

Old English; related to Old Norse hindri latter, Gothic hindar beyond, Old High German hintar behind

Synonym Study

See prevent.

Example Sentences

The leaders also called for efforts to reform international financial systems to help low-income countries cope with their debt, which was hindering development and eating into investments into infrastructure, disaster resilience, healthcare and education.

Read more on Barron's

The change ends needless delays that have hindered development in the Keystone State, cutting through bureaucracy to promote investment.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Gulati warns that “overconfidence might hinder our ability to face real limitations and lead to reckless behavior, ultimately harming our performance.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the Labour minister argued "cities such as Colchester, Portsmouth and Norwich can drive growth at the national scale, but we need to make sure the structures around them support, rather than hinder, their ambitions".

Read more on BBC

“Overstretching the concept of security only ends up hindering competition and innovation, rather than blocking risks,” it said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• block 
• burden 
• crimp 
• curb 
• delay 
• deter 
• frustrate 
• hamper 
• hamstring 
• hold up 
• impede 
• inhibit 
• interfere 
• interrupt 
• obstruct 
• preclude 
• prevent 
• prohibit 
• retard 
• slow down 

When To Use

What does hinder mean?

To hinder something is to make it harder for it to happen or be done, such as by delaying it or interrupting it. To hinder someone is to make it harder for them to do something.Close synonyms are hamper, impede, and obstruct. The word hinder is usually followed by the thing being hindered. It’s most commonly used in the context of progress, tasks, work, or other things that involve the completion of a goal.A person can hinder someone else’s progress or work by interrupting them, getting in their way, or putting obstacles in their way. This can be intentional or unintentional. Obstacles themselves can also be said to hinder a person’s progress. When an obstacle hinders someone, it gets in their way, slows them down, and prevents them from making further progress (until they find a way past it).Hinder can also mean to completely prevent or stop something from happening. However, in most cases, hinder doesn’t mean to stop something completely—only to slow its progress or delay it temporarily by making it more difficult to do.Something that hinders can be called a hindrance.Example: This traffic jam might hinder our ability to get there on time, but I’m going to try a detour.