hinder

What it means

1. transitiveTo make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.

   A drought hinders the growth of plants.

   2 more examples

   We doubt not of a faire and luckie Warre, / Since God ſo graciouſly hath brought to light / This dangerous Treaſon, lurking in our way, / To hinder our beginnings.

   1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 75, column 2

   Arsenal were playing without a recognised full-back – their defence comprising four centre-halves – and the lack of width was hindering their progress.

   2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 – 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2018

   Synonyms: delay, frustrate, hamper, impede, obstruct, prevent, thwart · Antonyms: further, assist, expedite, facilitate, help

2. ambitransitiveTo delay or impede; to keep back, to prevent.

   She hindered a man from committing suicide.

   2 more examples

   Then let me goe, and hinder not my courſe: [...]

   c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], page 28, column 1

   [I]f in thoſe days Cham and Japhet, and other Parents beſides the Eldest Son were Heads and Princes over their Families, and had a right to divide the Earth by Families, what hinders Younger Brothers, being Fathers of Families from having the ſame right, [...]

   1689 December (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Who Heir?”, in Two Treatises of Government: […], London: […] Awnsham Churchill, […], →OCLC, book I, paragraph 142, pages 181–182

   Synonyms: bar, block, delay, hamper, impede, obstruct, restrain, stop · Antonyms: aid, assist, help

3. obsoletetransitiveTo cause harm.

   If me and a certain character met, the guy that invented the cigarette, I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree. Now it ain't 'cause that I don't smoke myself and I don't reckon they hinder your health. I've smoked them all my life and I ain't dead yet.

   1947, Merle Travis, Tex Williams, “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)”

In a sentence

A drought hinders the growth of plants.

Where it comes from

1. Proto-Germanic*hinder“back”
2. Proto-Germanic*hindrōną
3. Old Englishhindrian
4. Middle Englishhindren
5. Englishhinder

From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”).