hobble

[hob-uhl]

verb (used without object)

hobbled, hobbling 

1. to walk lamely; limp.

2. to proceed irregularly and haltingly.

   His verses hobble with their faulty meters.

verb (used with object)

hobbled, hobbling 

1. to cause to limp.

   His tight shoes hobbled him.

2. to fasten together the legs of (a horse, mule, etc.) by short lengths of rope to prevent free motion.

3. to impede; hamper the progress of.

   Synonyms: cramp, frustrate, restrict, hinder
   Antonyms: benefit, assist, aid

noun

1. an act of hobbling; an uneven, halting gait; a limp.

2. a rope, strap, etc., used to hobble an animal.

3. hobbles, a leg harness for controlling the gait of a pacer.

4. Archaic.,  an awkward or difficult situation.

hobble

/ ˈhɒbəl /

verb

1. (intr) to walk with a lame awkward movement

2. (tr) to fetter the legs of (a horse) in order to restrict movement

3. to progress unevenly or with difficulty

4. (tr) to hamper or restrict (the actions or scope of a person, organization, etc)

noun

1. a strap, rope, etc, used to hobble a horse

2. a limping gait

3. dialect,  a difficult or embarrassing situation

4. a castrated ferret

Other Word Forms

• hobbler noun
• unhobbled adjective
• unhobbling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hobble¹

1300–50; Middle English hobelen, apparently akin to hob protuberance, uneven ground, and to Dutch hobbelen, German hoppeln to jolt

Word History and Origins

Origin of hobble¹

C14: probably from Low German; compare Flemish hoppelen, Middle Dutch hobbelen to stammer

Example Sentences

Facing mounting concerns from businesses and governments that regulations are hobbling the digital sector and hampering growth, the EU last week proposed rolling back key AI and data privacy rules.

Read more on Barron's

But even with the government reopened, he said operations remain hobbled by staff losses that disproportionately affect conservation and restoration, including saving Joshua trees and desert tortoises.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But onerous regulations, especially on the handling of data, and political disagreements within Europe have hobbled the emergence of European players on a scale to rival their U.S. competitors.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A hobbling Mitchell struck 119 as New Zealand beat the West Indies in the first match of the three-game series on Sunday, with scans after revealing a minor groin tear.

Read more on Barron's

Worse, U.S. restrictions on exports of top-end AI chips threatened to hobble China even further.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• falter 
• halt 
• shuffle 
• stagger 
• stumble