obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl 

-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

Synonyms

• hurdle
• obstruction
• embarrassment
• barrier

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

By returning to our child self, weathering our obstacles in good faith. —Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025

But there are exceptions, one of them being with vessels that don’t have the ability to quickly maneuver out of the way of sudden obstacles. —David Goodhue october 31, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025

OpenAI completes restructure as for-profit company OpenAI completed its conversion into a for-profit company on Tuesday, clearing a major obstacle for a potential initial public offering. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025

The show promises plenty of renovation obstacles, design inspiration, and…bears? —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing obstacle

• obstacle course
• obstacle race

Kids Definition

obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl 

: 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