roadblock

/ˌroʊdˈblɑk/

/ˈrʌʊdblɒk/

Other forms: roadblocks

A literal roadblock is a barricade or obstruction that's meant to block traffic. A figurative roadblock is any situation you encounter that makes it difficult or impossible to do what you want or need to do.

When a driver encounters a roadblock, she has to stop and go back, or to take a detour and use a different route. This sort of roadblock might be set up to divert cars away from construction or an accident. Other roadblocks are obstructions to progress, like a lawsuit that halts construction on a building or the high cost of something: "The price of converting to a solar water heater was a roadblock to our plans."

Definitions of roadblock

1. noun

   any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective
   synonyms: barrier

   types:

   ideological barrier

   a barrier to cooperation or interaction resulting from conflicting ideologies

   language barrier

   barrier to communication resulting from speaking different languages

   iron curtain

   any impenetrable barrier preventing the exchange of information or ideas

   iron curtain

   an impenetrable barrier to communication or information especially as imposed by rigid censorship and secrecy; used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the demarcation between democratic and communist countries

   bamboo curtain

   an ideological barrier around communist China especially in the 1950s and 1960s

   Jim Crow, color bar, color line, colour bar, colour line

   barrier preventing blacks from participating in various activities with whites

   type of:

   obstacle, obstruction

   something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
2. noun

   a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.
   synonyms: barricade

   type of:

   barrier

   a structure or object that impedes free movement