obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl 

-ˌsti-

: something that impedes progress or achievement

swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road

Lack of experience proved to be an obstacle in her job search.

… elders … often facing daily medical, social, and psychological obstacles.

—Vicki Bloom and B. B. Green-Field

Synonyms of obstacle

• 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

However, Threewitt said access to electricity has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles to accommodating more growth. —Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 2 June 2026

While overall successful, the pilot did encounter a few obstacles, such as lower pulp yield than would be expected at an industrial scale, along with a few issues with yarn and fabric production that Canopy said will inform future efforts. —Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 1 June 2026

And then progress and performance slow down in production, when teams encounter obstacles like security, access control, compliance steps, data ownership and integration with existing systems. —Ashwin Gaidhani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Jalen Brunson looked comfortable against the Spurs during the regular season and presents a major obstacle for San Antonio. —Scott Phillips, New York Times, 31 May 2026

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