stymie

[ stahy-mee ]
See synonyms for: stymiestymiedstymies on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),sty·mied, sty·mie·ing.
  1. to hinder, block, or thwart.

noun
  1. a situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.

  2. Golf. (on a putting green) an instance of a ball's lying on a direct line between the cup and the ball of an opponent about to putt.

Origin of stymie

1
First recorded in 1855–60; origin uncertain
  • Sometimes sty·my .

Other words for stymie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stymie in a sentence

  • An interesting case was quoted to me some time since of the success a man achieved in lofting over stymies, and the reason why.

    The Happy Golfer | Henry Leach

British Dictionary definitions for stymie

stymie

stymy

/ (ˈstaɪmɪ) /


verb-mies, -mieing, -mied, -mies, -mying or -mied (tr; often passive)
  1. to hinder or thwart

  2. golf to impede with a stymie

nounplural -mies
  1. golf (formerly) a situation on the green in which an opponent's ball is blocking the line between the hole and the ball about to be played: an obstructing ball may now be lifted and replaced by a marker

  2. a situation of obstruction

Origin of stymie

1
C19: of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012