hindrance
Americannoun
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an impeding, stopping, preventing, or the like.
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the state of being hindered.
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a person or thing that hinders.
- Synonyms:
- restraint, check, obstruction, encumbrance, impediment
- Antonyms:
- aid
noun
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an obstruction or snag; impediment
-
the act of hindering; prevention
Usage
What does hindrance mean? A hindrance is something that hinders—makes it harder for something to happen or be done or for someone to do something.Hindrance is most commonly used in the context of progress, tasks, work, or other things that involve the completion of a goal. Hindrances delay, interrupt, or slow down progress. The words obstacle and impediment are very similar.Hindrances are usually things, such as events or circumstances, but a person can be considered a hindrance, such as when they hinder someone else’s progress or work by interrupting them, getting in their way, or putting obstacles in their way.Although the verb hinder can also mean to completely prevent or stop something from happening, hindrances are usually temporary obstacles.Hindrance can also refer to the act of hindering or the state of being hindered.Example: Don’t let one failure be a hindrance to your goals.
Related Words
See obstacle.
Etymology
Origin of hindrance
First recorded in 1400–50, hindrance is from the late Middle English word hinderaunce. See hinder 1, -ance
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.
By the way, the biggest hindrance for American AI developers is a shortage of computing power.
That could be a hindrance for a company where the chair is expected to be as comfortable in Beijing as in Washington, D.C., and London.
At present, it’s merely a hindrance for Russia that they can adjust and work around.
From MarketWatch
His unfinished degree was no big deal to those who had worked with him, and he got the impression that it wouldn’t be a hindrance going forward.
"The quality of education, from a social perspective, is one of the biggest hindrances for the South African economy, and a big reason for the skills deficit that we have in South Africa," he says.
From BBC
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.
