impede
Americanverb (used with object)
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impedes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
impeded,
past participle, past
-
impeding
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See prevent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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impedernoun
-
impedibilitynoun
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impedibleadjective
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unimpedingadjective
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impedinglyadverb
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unimpedinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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impedesimple
-
impedessimple
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have impededperfect
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has impededperfect
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am impedingprogressive
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are impedingprogressive
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is impedingprogressive
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have been impedingperfect progressive
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has been impedingperfect progressive
Past
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impededsimple
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had impededperfect
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was impedingprogressive
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were impedingprogressive
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had been impedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of impede
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin impedīre “to entangle,” literally, “to snare the feet”; see im- 1, pedi- ( def. )
Explanation
To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. Carrying six heavy bags will impede your progress if you're trying to walk across town in a hurry. Impede comes from the Latin impedire which literally means "to hold the feet," formed from the prefix in-, ("in") plus pes ("foot"). Think about walking with a cast on your foot — how slow and awkward that would be. If you struggle with reading, that might impede your progress in your social studies class. An impediment is something that impedes, such as a physical defect that affects speech — a speech impediment.
Vocabulary lists containing impede
List 1
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe
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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:
Like Wright, Pomeroy said he would "impede construction workers as much as I can" if they came to the site to begin work.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
This result was especially surprising because thicker fluid would ordinarily be expected to impede movement.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Egotism reigns in our modern world, and only those brave enough to stand up to it can impede its rule.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
The Bundesbank said low water levels in Germany, particularly on the River Rhine, are likely to temporarily impede the country’s economic growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
He was half tempted to go pick it for Trina, but he knew she’d scold him within an inch of his life if he dared impede the progress of the forest.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Another part of the math that impedes people from buying long-range insurance products is fear of inflation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
A leitmotif of the book is the author’s slow discovery that the internet connection she needs to pull off the single-handed race impedes her ability to enjoy fully what she’s seeing and achieving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Experts have told The Times, humidity impedes the body’s ability to cool itself naturally, because the moist atmosphere doesn’t allow for sweat to evaporate as easily, causing you to continue to get warmer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
"This in no way impedes the democratic transition," added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Good Pamesack, take this basket from me, it impedes my motion in these bushes.
From Rob of the Bowl, Vol. I (of 2) A Legend of St. Inigoe's by John P. Kennedy
The loss of both circuits impeded controllers’ ability to communicate with airplanes, prompting the FAA to expand the ground stop to New York’s other two major airports, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
The board singled out the persistent bombing of German oil and communications facilities as a factor that impeded the resupply of the Nazi tank army.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Because we all know what that means: In history written by the victors, the Luddites impeded technological progress, attempted to halt innovation, and were soundly defeated by the Industrial Revolution.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The United States said Wednesday it will delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a decades-old designation that severely impeded investment, in a new vote of confidence in leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Africa’s north-south axis also seriously impeded the spread of livestock.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
The county said they congregated around a homeless encampment and that “they were also going on private property and impeding work at the oil field.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Piastri may lose his third place because he is under investigation for impeding Red Bull's Liam Lawson, which could result in a three-place grid penalty.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Recognizing that traditional export controls were impeding integration among the three allies, Washington has created broad licensing exemptions for defense trade among authorized participants in the three countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Most of Uminer’s books were shelved and weren’t impeding entrances and exits.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Do you feel like your thought patterns are impeding your daily life?”
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
