obstacle

noun

ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
-ˌsti-
: something that impedes progress or achievement
Mosquitoes were a great obstacle to the building of the Panama Canal.
… elders … often facing daily medical, social, and psychological obstacles.Vicki Bloom and B. B. Green-Field

Examples of obstacle in a Sentence

He overcame the obstacles of poverty and neglect. They must overcome a number of obstacles before the restaurant can be opened. Lack of experience is a major obstacle for her opponent. She swerved to avoid an obstacle in the road.
Recent Examples on the Web Plus, in an EV market now flooded with options, Rivian’s pricey trucks and SUVs are a significant obstacle keeping consumers away. William Gavin, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Aside from government and media, de Matteo is highly suspicious of corporations and big money — which plays a part in her reluctance to seek a Hollywood comeback even if her vaccination status were no longer an obstacle. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 The obstacles became so absurd that one website compared the competition to the Fyre Festival. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Both companies said despite their goal to unify and be a low-cost competitor to major airlines, the legal obstacles wouldn't make the acquisition possible by their deadline of July 2024. Ayana Archie, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 The biggest obstacle, though, was the play of Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who recorded his third hat trick of the season to help hand the Sharks a disappointing 4-3 loss at Xcel Energy Center. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The eight pilots raced around a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) course, maneuvering between 12 giant inflatable obstacles placed in the water. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The drones will have cameras and sensors to keep them from flying in to trees or other obstacles. Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024 However, the path to closing that racial gap faces real obstacles. La June Montgomery Tabron, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obstacle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin obstaculum, from obstare to stand in front of, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obstacle was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near obstacle

Cite this Entry

“Obstacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstacle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

obstacle

noun
ob·​sta·​cle ˈäb-sti-kəl How to pronounce obstacle (audio)
: something that stands in the way of progress or achievement : hindrance
drove around the obstacles in the road
didn't let shortness be an obstacle to a basketball career

More from Merriam-Webster on obstacle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!