Standard Lemma guide

stymie

noun · verb · 7 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.

  • /ˈstaɪmi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪmi
  • CMU ARPABET: S T AY1 M IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A situation where an opponent's ball is directly in the way of one's own ball and the hole, on the putting green (abolished 1952).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: golf, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An obstacle or obstruction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To thwart or stump; to cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They had lost the key, and the lock stymied the first three locksmiths they called.
  • If writing dates has you stymied at times, it is probably for one of two reasons. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-dates/

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: block, thwart, bog down, hamper

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: golf, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a thwarting and distressing situation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stymy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: obstacle, obstruction

6

noun

Meaning 6

a situation in golf where an opponent's ball blocks the line between your ball and the hole

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stymy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: situation, position

7

verb

Meaning 7

hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His brother blocked him at every turn

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obstruct, blockade, block, hinder, stymy, embarrass

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prevent, forestall, foreclose, preclude, forbid

Narrower terms: stonewall, filibuster, check, hang, bottleneck

History

Etymology

From the meaning in golf (where the stymie ball blocks the other ball from "seeing" the hole), perhaps from Scots stymie, stimie (“person with poor eyesight”), from Scots stime (“the least bit”). Or from Scots styme (“tiny bit, glimmer”) as in se nocht ane styme (“not to see a glimmer (of something)”). If so, it is a doublet of stime.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: empallegar — to thwart or stump
  • Catalan: destorbar — to thwart or stump
  • Catalan: contrariar — to thwart or stump
  • Catalan: travar — to thwart or stump
  • Catalan: bloquejar — to thwart or stump
  • Chinese Mandarin: 阻礙 /阻碍 (zǔ'ài) — to thwart or stump
  • Dutch: belemmeren — to thwart or stump
  • Dutch: ten val brengen — to thwart or stump
  • Dutch: hinderen — to thwart or stump
  • Finnish: nujertaa — to thwart or stump
  • Finnish: lannistaa — to thwart or stump
  • French: obstruer — to thwart or stump
  • French: mettre en échec — to thwart or stump
  • Galician: obstruír — to thwart or stump
  • Galician: atrancar — to thwart or stump
  • Galician: obstaculizar — to thwart or stump
  • German: lahmlegen — to thwart or stump
  • Greek: ματαιώνω (mataióno) — to thwart or stump
  • Hungarian: meghiúsít — to thwart or stump
  • Irish: déan idirluí ar — to thwart or stump
  • Irish: caoch — to thwart or stump
  • Italian: ostacolare — to thwart or stump
  • Italian: ostruire — to thwart or stump
  • Italian: intrigare — to thwart or stump
  • Italian: mettere in ginocchio — to thwart or stump
  • Japanese: 追い詰める (oitsumeru) — to thwart or stump
  • Māori: kaiwaenga — to thwart or stump
  • Norwegian Bokmål: dekke — to thwart or stump
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sette i en vanskelig stilling — to thwart or stump
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: dekkje — to thwart or stump
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: setje i ei vanskeleg stilling — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: utrudniać — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: utrudnić — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: krzyżować — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: pokrzyżować — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: przeszkadzać — to thwart or stump
  • Polish: przeszkodzić — to thwart or stump
  • Portuguese: impedir — to thwart or stump
  • Portuguese: obstruir — to thwart or stump
  • Russian: загоня́ть в у́гол (zagonjátʹ v úgol) — to thwart or stump
  • Russian: загна́ть в у́гол (zagnátʹ v úgol) — to thwart or stump
  • Russian: ста́вить в тупи́к (stávitʹ v tupík) — to thwart or stump
  • Russian: поста́вить в тупи́к (postávitʹ v tupík) — to thwart or stump
  • Serbo-Croatian: zapriječiti — to thwart or stump
  • Serbo-Croatian: zaprečiti — to thwart or stump
  • Serbo-Croatian: onemogućavati — to thwart or stump
  • Spanish: obstaculizar — to thwart or stump