impede
Other forms: impeded; impeding; impedes
To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. Carrying six heavy bags will impede your progress if you're trying to walk across town in a hurry.
Impede comes from the Latin impedire which literally means "to hold the feet," formed from the prefix in-, ("in") plus pes ("foot"). Think about walking with a cast on your foot — how slow and awkward that would be. If you struggle with reading, that might impede your progress in your social studies class. An impediment is something that impedes, such as a physical defect that affects speech — a speech impediment.
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be a hindrance or obstacle to“She is impeding the progress of our project”
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synonyms:
hinder
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types:
- show 17 types...
- hide 17 types...
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block, close up, jam, obstruct, obturate, occlude
block passage through
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inhibit
limit, block, or decrease the action or function of
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interfere
come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
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set back
slow down the progress of; hinder
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hobble
hamper the action or progress of
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stunt
check the growth or development of
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block off, blockade
obstruct access to
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barricade, barricado
block off with barricades
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barricade
prevent access to by barricading
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asphyxiate, choke, stifle, suffocate
impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
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tie up
restrain from moving or operating normally
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dam, dam up
obstruct with, or as if with, a dam
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block out, screen
prevent from entering
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earth up, land up
block with earth, as after a landslide
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bar, barricade, block, block off, block up, blockade, stop
render unsuitable for passage
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back up, choke, choke off, clog, clog up, congest, foul
become or cause to become obstructed
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dwarf
check the growth of
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block passage through
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types:
- show 17 types...
- hide 17 types...
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block off, blockade
obstruct access to
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barricade, barricado
block off with barricades
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barricade
prevent access to by barricading
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asphyxiate, choke, stifle, suffocate
impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
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tie up
restrain from moving or operating normally
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dam, dam up
obstruct with, or as if with, a dam
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block out, screen
prevent from entering
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earth up, land up
block with earth, as after a landslide
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bar, barricade, block, block off, block up, blockade, stop
render unsuitable for passage
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back up, choke, choke off, clog, clog up, congest, foul
become or cause to become obstructed
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gum up
stick together as if with gum
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block off, close off, shut off
block off the passage through
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shade
protect from light, heat, or view
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close
bar access to
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crap up
become obstructed or chocked up
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block, choke up, lug, stuff
obstruct
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silt, silt up
become chocked with silt
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type of:
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hinder
be a hindrance or obstacle to
/ɪmˈpid/
/ɪmˈpid/
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- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing impede
Running away from the slave-owning Southerland Plantation, twelve-year-old Homer and his seven-year-old sister Ada head to the swamp, where they find some unexpected help.
This list of warm-up words features common words on the test that you're probably familiar with. Brush up on these words first to make sure that you start off strong while taking the GRE.
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