obstacle

obstacle — noun

1. anything physical or abstract — a wall, a fallen tree, a lack of money, a strict

1.nounC1
Definition

anything physical or abstract — a wall, a fallen tree, a lack of money, a strict rule — that stops you from moving ahead or reaching a goal, or that forces you to work harder to get there.

Example

A fallen oak tree was a huge obstacle on the road into the village.

physical obstacle: object blocking a path

For Maya, shyness was the biggest obstacle to making new friends at school.

obstacle to + -ing for an abstract barrier

Common collocations
  • overcome an obstacle
  • face an obstacle
  • remove an obstacle
  • present an obstacle
  • a major / serious / formidable obstacle
  • obstacle course
Synonyms
  • barrier

    often abstract and large-scale (trade barrier, language barrier); suggests something hard to cross at all.

  • hurdle

    informal; suggests a difficulty you can jump over with effort, often one of several in sequence.

  • hindrance

    more formal; emphasises slowing or annoying delay rather than total blocking.

  • impediment

    formal, often legal or medical (speech impediment); suggests a built-in or lasting limitation.

Antonyms
  • aid

    something that helps progress instead of blocking it.

  • advantage

    a positive factor that makes a goal easier to reach.

Grammar Patterns

obstacle to + noun/-ing

obstacle in + noun's + way

Usage Note

Often followed by 'to' + noun or -ing form when naming what is blocked (an obstacle to peace, an obstacle to learning). Common verbs are 'face', 'overcome', 'remove', and 'present'. The thing called an obstacle can be concrete (a rock, a barrier) or abstract (fear, cost, a rule).

Common Mistakes

It is an obstacle for me to study English.
Lack of time is an obstacle to my studying English.
use 'obstacle to + noun/-ing', not 'obstacle for someone to do'.
She passed every obstacle in the race.
She cleared every obstacle in the race.
with physical obstacles in sport, the verb is usually 'clear', 'jump', or 'overcome', not 'pass'.

Word family

  • obstruct
    verbC1
  • obstruction
    nounC1
  • obstructive
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words name something that stops or slows progress, but they pull in different directions. 'Obstacle' is the most general and works for both physical things (a tree across the road) and abstract ones (cost, fear). 'Barrier' suggests something larger and harder to cross — language barriers and trade barriers separate whole groups, not single people. 'Hurdle' is friendlier and informal: it pictures a low fence you jump over, so it fits a series of smaller difficulties on the way to a goal — 'the final hurdle before graduation'. 'Hindrance' is more formal and gentler in scope; it usually slows you down rather than fully blocking you. 'Impediment' is the most formal and often technical (a speech impediment, a legal impediment), suggesting a built-in or long-standing limitation. So you 'overcome an obstacle', 'break down a barrier', 'clear a hurdle', and 'remove an impediment'.

obstacle ↗barrier ↗hurdlehindrance ↗impediment

Common collocations

Nouns

  • obstacle course
  • obstacle race

Phrases

  • overcome an obstacle
  • face an obstacle
  • remove an obstacle
  • a major obstacle
  • a serious obstacle
  • the biggest obstacle

Prepositions

  • obstacle to
  • obstacle for
  • obstacle in (someone's) way

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 1300s from Old French 'obstacle', which itself came from Latin 'obstaculum' meaning 'something standing in the way'. The Latin word is built from 'ob-' ('against, in front of') plus the verb 'stare' ('to stand'), with the suffix '-culum' marking a tool or thing. So at heart, an obstacle is literally 'a thing that stands against you'.