Standard Lemma guide

hindrance

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈhɪndɹəns/
  • [ˈhɪnd͡ɹ̝əns]
  • [hɪnd̠͡ɹ̠˔əns]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH IH1 N D R AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something which hinders: something that holds back or causes problems with something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • High-heeled shoes may be fashionable, but they can also be a hindrance to walking.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state or act of hindering something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Your hindrance of this process will not be tolerated.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hinderance, interference

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, deed, human action, human activity

Narrower terms: frustration, thwarting, foiling, antagonism, obstruction, complication, deterrence, prevention, bar

4

noun

Meaning 4

any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hinderance, hitch, preventive, preventative, encumbrance, incumbrance, interference

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impediment, impedimenta

Narrower terms: clog, speed bump

5

noun

Meaning 5

something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicap

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: difficulty

Narrower terms: albatross, millstone, bind, diriment impediment, drag, obstacle, obstruction, straitjacket

History

Etymology

From Middle English hinderance, hinderaunce, hindraunce, hynderaunce, hynderawnce, hynderawns, hyndrance; equivalent to hinder + -ance.

Across languages

Translations

87 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: pengesë — something which hinders
  • Aromanian: cheadicã — something which hinders
  • Azerbaijani: əngəl — something which hinders
  • Bulgarian: пречка (prečka) — something which hinders
  • Bulgarian: спънка (spǎnka) — something which hinders
  • Bulgarian: препятствие (prepjatstvie) — something which hinders
  • Catalan: obstacle — something which hinders
  • Catalan: entrebanc — something which hinders
  • Catalan: nosa — something which hinders
  • Chinese Mandarin: 障礙 /障碍 (zhàng'ài) — something which hinders
  • Chinese Mandarin: 阻力 (zǔlì) — something which hinders
  • Chinese Mandarin: 阻礙 /阻碍 (zǔ'ài) — something which hinders
  • Czech: překážka — something which hinders
  • Dutch: hindernis — something which hinders
  • Dutch: obstakel — something which hinders
  • Esperanto: malhelpo — something which hinders
  • Finnish: este — something which hinders
  • Finnish: haitta — something which hinders
  • French: entrave — something which hinders
  • French: obstacle — something which hinders
  • Galician: péga — something which hinders
  • Galician: traba — something which hinders
  • Galician: estorbo — something which hinders
  • Georgian: დაბრკოლება (dabrḳoleba) — something which hinders
  • Georgian: შეფერხება (šeperxeba) — something which hinders
  • German: Behinderung — something which hinders
  • German: Hindernis — something which hinders
  • Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌶𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (marzeins) — something which hinders
  • Greek: κώλυμα (kólyma) — something which hinders
  • Greek: εμπόδιο (empódio) — something which hinders
  • Ancient Greek: ἐγκοπή (enkopḗ) — something which hinders
  • Ancient Greek: κώλυμα (kṓluma) — something which hinders
  • Hebrew: עַכָּבָה (akkavá) — something which hinders
  • Hindi: विघ्न (vighna) — something which hinders
  • Hindi: बाधा (bādhā) — something which hinders
  • Hindi: अड़चन (aṛcan) — something which hinders
  • Hungarian: akadály — something which hinders
  • Icelandic: hindrun — something which hinders
  • Ido: impedo — something which hinders
  • Ido: impedivo — something which hinders
  • Indonesian: halangan — something which hinders
  • Ingrian: esse — something which hinders
  • Irish: éaradh — something which hinders
  • Italian: impaccio — something which hinders
  • Italian: ostacolo — something which hinders
  • Italian: impedimento — something which hinders
  • Japanese: 邪魔 (jama) — something which hinders
  • Japanese: 支障 (shishō) — something which hinders
  • Japanese: 妨害 (bōgai) — something which hinders
  • Korean: 방해 (banghae) — something which hinders
  • Latin: ōbex — something which hinders
  • Latin: obiectus — something which hinders
  • Latin: impedīmentum — something which hinders
  • Latvian: šķērslis — something which hinders
  • Malagasy: sakana — something which hinders
  • Māori: whakararu — something which hinders
  • Old English: hremming — something which hinders
  • Plautdietsch: Hindaniss — something which hinders
  • Polish: przeszkoda — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: obstáculo — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: obstrução — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: entrave — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: impedimento — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: obice — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: estorvo — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: empecilho — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: barreira — something which hinders
  • Portuguese: freio — something which hinders
  • Romanian: piedică — something which hinders
  • Romanian: impediment — something which hinders
  • Romanian: obstacol — something which hinders
  • Russian: поме́ха (poméxa) — something which hinders
  • Russian: препя́тствие (prepjátstvije) — something which hinders
  • Scottish Gaelic: amaladh — something which hinders
  • Scottish Gaelic: bacadh — something which hinders
  • Scottish Gaelic: èislean — something which hinders
  • Sicilian: mpidugghiu — something which hinders
  • Spanish: obstáculo — something which hinders
  • Spanish: rémora — something which hinders
  • Spanish: traba — something which hinders
  • Spanish: impedimento — something which hinders
  • Thai: อุปสรรค (ùp-bpà-sàk) — something which hinders
  • Thai: ขวากหนาม (kwàak-nǎam) — something which hinders
  • Thai: มารผจญ (maan-pà-jon) — something which hinders
  • Tocharian B: pkante — something which hinders
  • Vietnamese: vật cản — something which hinders
  • Vietnamese: cản trở — something which hinders