obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
-ˌsti-
: something that impedes progress or achievement
Mosquitoes were a great obstacle to the building of the Panama Canal.
… elders … often facing daily medical, social, and psychological obstacles.Vicki Bloom and B. B. Green-Field

Examples of obstacle in a Sentence

He overcame the obstacles of poverty and neglect. They must overcome a number of obstacles before the restaurant can be opened. Lack of experience is a major obstacle for her opponent. She swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Working with the local council, emergency services and Transport for London, plans for an extra 10,000 (possibly more) people to safely arrive and leave the area are a considerable obstacle. Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The only safe bet for next season is that these two will face some new, fresh traumatic obstacles. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 One is perseverance, or the ability to power through the inevitable obstacles and setbacks that come with running a business, says Hemmati, co-founder of ZenBusiness, an artificial intelligence software startup that works to help first-time entrepreneurs navigate regulatory processes. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025 The obstacles in Eve’s way to get Three Rock back up and running will surprise you. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obstacle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin obstaculum, from obstare to stand in front of, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obstacle was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obstacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstacle. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

obstacle

noun
ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
: something that stands in the way of progress or achievement : hindrance
drove around the obstacles in the road
didn't let shortness be an obstacle to a basketball career

More from Merriam-Webster on obstacle

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