Meanings
verbobstruct (third-person singular simple present obstructs, present participle obstructing, simple past and past participle obstructed)
present singular third person obstructs · participle present obstructing · participle past obstructed · past obstructed
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo block or fill (a passage) with obstacles or an obstacle.
Similar
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
verbhinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of
verbblock passage through
Opposite
verbshut out from view or get in the way so as to hide from sight
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From Latin past participle stem obstruct- (“blocked up”), from verb obstruere, from ob (“against”) + struere (“pile up, build”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian запречвам, преграждам
- запречвам (zaprečvam)To block or fill (a passage)
- преграждам (pregraždam)To block or fill (a passage)
- преча (preča)To impede, retard, or interfere with
- затруднявам (zatrudnjavam)To impede, retard, or interfere with
Catalan obstruir, obstruir
- obstruirTo block or fill (a passage)
- obstruirTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Chinese Mandarin 擋住 /挡住, 阻擋 /阻挡
- 擋住 /挡住 (dǎngzhù)To block or fill (a passage)
- 阻擋 /阻挡 (zǔdǎng)To block or fill (a passage)
Czech ucpat, zatarasit
- ucpatTo block or fill (a passage)
- zatarasitTo block or fill (a passage)
- zablokovatTo block or fill (a passage)
- bránitTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- překážetTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Dutch zicht belemmeren
- zicht belemmerenTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
Finnish tukkia, estää
- tukkiaTo block or fill (a passage)
- estääTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- peittääTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
French obstruer, bloquer
- obstruerTo block or fill (a passage)
- bloquerTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- retarderTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- interférerTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- obstruerTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
- éclipserTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
German behindern, versperren
- behindernTo block or fill (a passage)
- versperrenTo block or fill (a passage)
Hawaiian keʻa, hoʻokeʻa
- keʻaTo block or fill (a passage)
- hoʻokeʻaTo block or fill (a passage)
- keʻaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- hoʻokeʻaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Irish cuir isteach ar
- cuir isteach arTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Italian ostruire, ostacolare
- ostruireTo block or fill (a passage)
- ostacolareTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- ostruireTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
Japanese ふさぐ
- ふさぐ (fusagu)To block or fill (a passage)
Korean 먹통
- 먹통 (meoktong)To impede, retard, or interfere with
Latin obstō, obstruō
- obstōTo block or fill (a passage)
- obstruōTo block or fill (a passage)
- obstōTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- officioTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Māori whakaapi, whakahōtaetae
- whakaapiTo block or fill (a passage)
- whakahōtaetaeTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- kōpekaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- whakaapiTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Portuguese obstruir, trancar
- obstruirTo block or fill (a passage)
- trancarTo block or fill (a passage)
- entupirTo block or fill (a passage)
- obstruirTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- obstruirTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
- ocultarTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
- esconderTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
Romanian înfunda, obtura
- înfundaTo block or fill (a passage)
- obturaTo block or fill (a passage)
- astupaTo block or fill (a passage)
- blocaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- împiedicaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- întârziaTo impede, retard, or interfere with
Russian заслоня́ть, заслони́ть
- заслоня́ть (zaslonjátʹ)To block or fill (a passage)
- заслони́ть (zaslonítʹ)To block or fill (a passage)
- загора́живать (zagoráživatʹ)To block or fill (a passage)
- загороди́ть (zagorodítʹ)To block or fill (a passage)
- препя́тствовать (prepjátstvovatʹ)To impede, retard, or interfere with
- меша́ть (mešátʹ)To impede, retard, or interfere with
- загора́живать (zagoráživatʹ)To get in the way of so as to hide from sight
- заслоня́ть (zaslonjátʹ)To get in the way of so as to hide from sight
Spanish entorpecer, estorbar
- entorpecerTo block or fill (a passage)
- estorbarTo block or fill (a passage)
- atorarTo block or fill (a passage)
- obstruirTo block or fill (a passage)
- entorpecerTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- impedirTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- estorbarTo impede, retard, or interfere with
- esconderTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
- ocultarTo get in the way of so as to hide from sight
Vietnamese chắn
- chắnTo block or fill (a passage)
Yiddish אָבסטרויִרן
- אָבסטרויִרן (obstruirn)To impede, retard, or interfere with
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with obstruct
conductconstructductinstructdeductpluckeddestructadductabductinducttruckedshuckedreductDonald Duckedextructpreconstructsubducttraductunconstruct
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
obstruct. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruct
MLA
“obstruct.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruct. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obstruct,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruct.
Source: obstruct on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.