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obstacle

American  

[ob-stuh-kuhl] / ˈɒb stə kəl /

noun

• obstacles
  plural

1. 

   something that obstructs or hinders progress.

   Antonyms:

   help

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obstacle British  

/ ˈɒbstəkəl /

noun

1. a person or thing that opposes or hinders something

2. a fence or hedge used in showjumping

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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

• obstacles
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obstacle obstacles

Trying to advertise on TikTok has also become "like an obstacle course", O'Neill added.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The research team overcame this obstacle by developing a technique that applies tiny amounts of MOF material directly to the mitochondrial surface.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Eventually, they designed small robots on wheels with motion and obstacle sensors and are now installing them in more than a dozen warehouses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

A small group of people huddled around the tribute in Sol on Thursday, some visibly moved, while tourists tried to navigate an obstacle course of tents and candles.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

For a second, I think maybe Lara will be so focused on completing the obstacle course that she might leave me alone, but then she turns to face me with that little grin of hers.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

This behavior, known as one-dimensional pinning-free vortex flow, means the vortices can travel along a defined path without encountering the usual obstacles that restrict their movement.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

"We can't remove all the obstacles, but we can give them the skills to manage," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

It’s these obstacles that make Eisenberg’s film feel all the more realistic, accurately representing how much work it takes to find oneself, an arduous process that must be experienced over and over in different ways.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

But both elections will now be held on September 11, 2027, Abbas said in a decree, blaming Israeli "obstacles", according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

The energy I felt thrumming in that school had nothing to do with obstacles.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Random Word

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Related Words

• barrier
• difficulty
• disincentive
• hardship
• hindrance
• hitch
• hurdle
• impediment
• interference
• obstruction
• restriction
• snag
• stumbling block

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