Synonyms

stymied

American

[stahy-meed] / ˈstaɪ mid /

adjective

hindered, blocked, or thwarted.

In this drama he plays a stymied professor of history who has never managed to become department head.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of stymie.

Etymology

Origin of stymied

stymie ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

State and local building restrictions in many parts of the country have stymied construction of smaller, cheaper homes.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

Airbus was forced to trim its aircraft-delivery goal in 2022, 2024 and 2025 because of supply-chain snarls, as global bottlenecks stymied sourcing of assembly necessities from seats to toilets.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Others feel completely stymied by this latest headache, which only builds on other unexpected costs and hurdles in an already complicated process.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Besides internal challenges, a worsening operating environment outside its control has also stymied performance.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Confronted with my mother’s resolve, my father appeared stymied.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023