hinder
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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hinders,
present (3rd person singular)
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hindered,
past participle, past
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hindering
present participle
verb (used without object)
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hinders,
present (3rd person singular)
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hindered,
past participle, past
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hindering
present participle
adjective
noun
verb
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to be or get in the way of (someone or something); hamper
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(tr) to prevent
adjective
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
See prevent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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hindersimple
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hinderssimple
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have hinderedperfect
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has hinderedperfect
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am hinderingprogressive
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are hinderingprogressive
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is hinderingprogressive
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have been hinderingperfect progressive
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has been hinderingperfect progressive
Past
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hinderedsimple
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had hinderedperfect
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was hinderingprogressive
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were hinderingprogressive
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had been hinderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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”
Explanation
The verb hinder means to block or put something in the way of, so if you’re in a high-speed car chase with the police, they might put up a blockade to hinder your progress. The word hinder came from the Old English hindrian, which means to "injure or damage." That's a little more extreme than what it means today, because, now it just means to get in the way of something or someone. People might not like you too much if you make it a practice to hinder their progress or get in the way of things they want, even if it's a small hindrance like blocking someone from getting to the cookie jar.
Vocabulary lists containing hinder
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Beowulf: A New Telling
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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:
"If the plants lose their ant defenders and become less healthy, it could hinder forest recovery following disturbance," Dr. Yusah added.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The central bank had, however, previously warned that heatwaves would temporarily slow the economy over the summer, particularly as low water levels hinder river transport including through the Rhine River.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
It is still unclear whether artificial intelligence will do more to help or hinder efforts to create a healthier relationship with technology.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
To immediately hinder hacking attempts, the agency recommended that water systems should be immediately removed from the internet as soon as possible and reset passwords.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
And to hinder Germany from starting another war, the treaty reduced their armed forces, which caused more jobs to be lost.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
"Delays in specimen collection, transportation and testing can postpone confirmation by days or weeks, which hinders the isolation of infected persons, contact tracing and the initiation of outbreak-control measures," Sullivan wrote.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
If weather hinders your chances of seeing this full Moon, there are two more opportunities throughout meteorological summer.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
But it was interesting to see him wrestle with how his work hinders that — is it the crutch or the salvation?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Carrying costs are also an issue—massive properties are burdened by soaring taxes—especially in markets like Los Angeles, where the mansion tax hinders high-end sales.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
And so, in consequence, there are infinite habitable worlds; what hinders? ... these and suchlike insolent and bold attempts, prodigious paradoxes, inferences must needs follow, if it once be granted which ...
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Contract signings to purchase existing homes fell 2.3% in July from the previous month, as high mortgage rates hindered transactions.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Efforts to identify the responsible party were hindered by ownership transitions and liability disputes, which delayed DTSC’s enforcement activities,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The FCC said the cap had become outdated and hindered broadcasters’ ability to compete for viewers and advertising dollars against streaming services, podcasts and other digital platforms that face no comparable restrictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Records for both upstream production in Brazil and refinery utilisation have helped counter hindered Middle East output," noted Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Interactive Investor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Others who might have helped us instead hindered us.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Lending to eurozone businesses halved in August, a sign that rising borrowing costs following the European Central Bank’s decision to raise its key interest rate are hindering investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“An English-only approach would not be doing that. In fact, it would be hindering in many cases.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Many residents feel frustrated how the water shortage is hindering their daily activities.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
But Brexit isn’t the only actor at play, with a structural lack of exposure to technology stocks also hindering performance, they wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
"You're hindering Ralph. You're not letting him get to the most important thing."
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
