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

Their biggest obstacle is that their collectivist vision has never worked without trampling on civil liberties. — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Tenzing is ostensibly about a man who’s overcome incredible obstacles to achieve something no other human ever had before; indeed, that great feat is the only reason for this movie to exist at all. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

The trust factor For Nachum, the biggest obstacle to AI adoption in finance isn’t necessarily whether the technology can produce an answer. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

But old-school defenses still matter, too, including obstacles meant to stop tanks and command posts buried underground across the tiny nation. — Aaron MacLean, CBS News, 8 Sep. 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