obstacle

noun

ob·sta·cle ˈäb-sti-kəl

-ˌsti-

Synonyms of obstacle next

: 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

Example Sentences

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 Israel has since settled 500,000 people in about 130 settlements across the West Bank, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as an obstacle to peace. —

Arkansas Online, 16 Jan. 2023 The other person was viewed more as an obstacle than as a human being. —

Chuck Bolotin, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023 The boomers responded with a countercultural movement that recast work as an obstacle to self-actualization. —

Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2022 Most of Taiwan's shoreline is unsuitable for ships to dock and unload personnel and equipment, and a 245-mile-long mountain range from the nation's northern tip to southern end would serve as a natural obstacle to invading troops. —

The Week Staff, The Week, 4 Dec. 2022 ABC News spoke with organizers, scientists and doctors who discussed the relatively low rate of people taking PrEP, the antiviral medication used to prevent HIV, as one obstacle in their fight. —

Milan Miller, ABC News, 1 Dec. 2022 Polley described Mariche as an obstacle to progress for much of the story. —

Jordan Kisner, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2022 And when two of the members are at war – and relations between China and many Western nations have deteriorated – consensus looms as an even bigger obstacle. —

Nick Perry, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2022 And when two of the members are at war — and relations between China and many Western nations have deteriorated — consensus looms as an even bigger obstacle. —

Nick Perry, ajc, 27 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obstacle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

See more words from the same century