obstacle
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obstacle
- /ˈɒbstəkəl/ UK
- /ˈɑbstəkəl/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English obstacle, from Old French obstacle, from Latin obstāculum.
noun obstacles
-
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.
Similar: impediment, hindrance, hurdle, barrier, complication, snag
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: obstruction, setback, hindrance, impediment, hinder, blocking, blockage, roadblock, handicap, stumbling-block, interference, inhibitor, prevent, stumble, deterrent, difficulty
Translations
Every language
noun something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress
| Español | obstáculo, óbice, traba, estorbo, contumeria, pereque |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 장애 jang'ae, 장애물 jang'aemul, 방해물 banghaemul, 장해 janghae |
| 日本語 | 障害 shōgai, 邪魔 jama, 障害物 shōgaibutsu |
| 中文 | 障礙 /障碍 zhàng'ài, 妨礙 /妨碍 fáng'ài |
| हिन्दी | बाधा bādhā, रुकावट rukāvaṭ, अड़चन aṛcan |
| Português | obstáculo, estorvo, impedimento, empecilho, obstrução, entrave |
| Français | obstacle |
| Deutsch | Hindernis, Hürde |
| Italiano | ostacolo, inciampo |
| Ελληνικά | εμπόδιο empódio, πρόσκομμα próskomma |
| Română | obstacol, piedică |
| Русский | препя́тствие prepjátstvije, прегра́да pregráda, поме́ха poméxa |
| Tiếng Việt | bước cản, chướng ngại, trở ngại |
| العربية | عَقَبَة ʕaqaba, حَاجِز ḥājiz, عَائِق ʕāʔiq |
| עברית | מִכְשׁוֹל mikhshól |
Talk about this word "obstacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/obstacle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. obstacle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/obstacle "obstacle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/obstacle.Cite this
@misc{obstacle_2026,
title = {obstacle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/obstacle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
