Synonyms for obstacle
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Impediment
impediment, obstruction, hindrance, barrier, difficulty, hurdle, stumbling block, snag, objection, stop, hitch, nuisance, interruption, bar, clog, check, rub, malefit, encumbrance, let dated
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively
A big obstacle to understanding the manual was that it had been poorly translated from the Japanese.
Related words
- Phrases
- obstacle course obstacle race
Forms
- Plural
- obstacles → impediments, obstructions, hindrances, barriers…
Choose the right word
An impediment is primarily something that checks the foot or in any way makes advance slow or difficult; an obstacle is something that stands across the way, an obstruction something that is built or placed across the way.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- barrier There was a language barrier between Ziri and Rima.
- obstruction Tom was charged with obstruction of justice.
- impediment Impatience is a definite impediment to success.
- hindrance Those new rules were more of a hindrance than a help.
- complication A new complication of coronavirus became apparent in the study.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| obstacle | steady | |
| barrier | steady | |
| obstruction | steady | |
| impediment | steady | |
| hindrance | steady | |
| complication | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- let1, bar1, rub1
- 4 letters
- stop1, snag1, clog1
- 5 letters
- check1, hitch1
- 6 letters
- hurdle2
- 7 letters
- barrier3, malefit
- 8 letters
- nuisance2
- 9 letters
- objection3, hindrance2
- 10 letters
- difficulty4, impediment4
- 11 letters
- obstruction3, encumbrance
- 12 letters
- interruption4, complication4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hurdle2 = 2 syllables).