obstacle
Americannoun
-
obstacles
plural
noun
-
a person or thing that opposes or hinders something
-
a fence or hedge used in showjumping
Synonym Usage
Obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, impediment refer to something that interferes with or prevents action or progress. An obstacle is something, material or nonmaterial, that stands in the way of literal or figurative progress: Lack of imagination is an obstacle to one's advancement. An obstruction is something that more or less completely blocks a passage: A blood clot is an obstruction to the circulation. A hindrance keeps back by interfering and delaying: Interruptions are a hindrance to one's work. An impediment interferes with proper functioning: an impediment in one's speech.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of obstacle
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin obstāculum, equivalent to obstā(re) “to face, block, hinder” ( ob- ob- + stāre stand ) + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
When the road is blocked ahead of you, that blockage is an obstacle that keeps you from getting where you want to go. The Latin word that is the source of the word obstacle combines parts that mean "to stand in the way of," so an obstacle is something that stands against what you want to do. In a dramatic piece, the obstacle is the person or thing that keeps a character from achieving his or her goal. This creates the conflict in a play: since conflict is what drama is all about, the obstacle is the source of all drama.
Vocabulary lists containing obstacle
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Code Talker
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"Earth and Space"
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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:
"This was a key issue identified by the industry as an obstacle to providing credit cards in Jersey," they said.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Negative sentiment around AI has proven an obstacle to its development, as people worry about the impacts of the technology on the job market and push back against data-center projects.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
"Therapeutic resistance is a main obstacle to achieve effective and durable cancer treatments," said corresponding author Dr. Weei-Chin Lin, professor of medicine - hematology and oncology and of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
After years of body blows from COVID, fires and more, this obstacle was especially frustrating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
When the clock strikes twelve, we go through what feels like an obstacle course of traditions: first everyone eats twelve grapes and drinks a cup of homemade cider.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
They also provide information on how renters can overcome obstacles to getting to the voting booth, including securing child care and transportation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The robots will be expected to dig up lunar material, drive over obstacles and use the material to form a wall.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The dollar and Treasury yields are currently the main obstacles to gold returning to its broader bullish path, says Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Researchers at the University of Surrey have proposed a new kind of qubit that could help address one of the biggest obstacles in quantum computing: keeping error rates low as systems become larger.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
As you proceed from one level to the next, the tunnels take on gradually more complex geometric shapes, and the number of enemies and obstacles crawling up toward you multiplies drastically.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
