hindrance

hindrance — noun

1. A person, condition, or circumstance that slows progress or blocks the achieveme

1.nounB2
Definition

A person, condition, or circumstance that slows progress or blocks the achievement of a goal.

Example

The broken elevator was a major hindrance for people on upper floors.

collocation: major hindrance

Jisoo considered her shyness a hindrance when making new friends.

pattern: consider + noun + a hindrance

Common collocations
  • major hindrance
  • serious hindrance
  • without hindrance
  • hindrance to
Synonyms
  • obstacle

    more concrete; something you must physically overcome or go around

  • impediment

    more formal; often refers to a physical or medical limitation

  • barrier

    stronger; suggests something that completely blocks rather than just slows

  • drawback

    milder; a disadvantage or inconvenience rather than a blocker

Antonyms
  • help

    general opposite; something that makes progress easier

  • aid

    suggests active assistance toward a goal

Grammar Patterns

a hindrance (to something/someone)

without hindrance

Usage Note

Countable when referring to a specific person or thing (a hindrance, the main hindrance). Uncountable in fixed formal phrases such as without let or hindrance.

Common Mistakes

The heavy rain was a hindrance to the car's engine.
The heavy rain was a hindrance to our travel plans.
hindrance blocks a goal or process, not a mechanical function.
He removed the fallen tree, which was a hindrance in the middle of the road.
He removed the fallen tree, which was an obstacle in the middle of the road.
a physical thing you must climb over or move is an obstacle; a hindrance can be more general and often non-physical.

2. The process of deliberately blocking or slowing someone or something, or the con

2.nounC1
Definition

The process of deliberately blocking or slowing someone or something, or the condition of being blocked or slowed yourself.

Example

The reporter accused the office of hindrance during the investigation.

pattern: accused + of + hindrance

The law specifically forbids any hindrance of rescue workers at accident scenes.

pattern: forbids + hindrance of [noun]

Common collocations
  • deliberate hindrance
  • hindrance of
  • hindrance to
Synonyms
  • obstruction

    more formal and legal; often used for physically blocking something

  • interference

    suggests unwanted meddling rather than slowing progress

  • disruption

    emphasises breaking the normal flow of an activity

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

hindrance (of something)

deliberate hindrance

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable. More common in legal, bureaucratic, and formal contexts than in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

The rain was a hindrance to me doing my shopping.' (meaning: the rain made shopping unpleasant)
The rain was a hindrance to my plan to finish shopping before dark.
hindrance implies blocking a specific goal, not just causing inconvenience.
Idioms

without let or hindrance

idiom

A formal or legal phrase meaning without anything preventing or stopping something from happening; completely freely.

The agreement allows goods to pass between the two countries without let or hindrance.

Word family

  • hinder
    verbB2
  • hindered
    adjectiveC1
  • hindering
    adjectiveC1
  • unhindered
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe things that get in the way, but HINDRANCE is the broadest — it can refer to anything that slows progress, from personal qualities (shyness) to physical objects (a fallen tree) to circumstances (bad weather). OBSTACLE suggests something that must be overcome or removed to continue, and often feels more physical. IMPEDIMENT is more formal and frequently refers to a physical or medical condition that limits movement or speech, as in a speech impediment. BARRIER implies a solid obstruction that prevents passage or communication entirely, not just slowing it down. DRAWBACK is milder — a disadvantage or inconvenience rather than a true blocker. For example: 'Lack of funds was the main hindrance to the project' means it slowed things down; 'Lack of funds was a barrier to even starting' means it made starting impossible.

obstacle ↗impedimentbarrier ↗drawback ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Hindrance comes from the verb 'hinder', which traces back to Old English 'hindrian' (to harm, injure, hold back). That word comes from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, related to the idea of keeping something behind. The noun form 'hindrance' appeared in Middle English, keeping the sense of something that holds you back from moving forward.