obstruent

O1B3S1T1R1U1E1N1T1
/ˈɒbstɹuːənt/

adjective

Causing obstruction; blocking up.

“an obstruent medicine”

Similar
hindering
Opposite
sonorant
OriginLatin obstruēns →
RareScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveobstruent (comparative more obstruent, superlative most obstruent)

comparative more obstruent · superlative most obstruent

  1. Causing obstruction; blocking up.

    an obstruent medicine

    Synonyms: hindering

nounobstruent (plural obstruents)

plural obstruents

  1. human sciencesA consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway, causing turbulence; a plosive, fricative, or affricate.

    Lehmann (1998:77) and Steever (1998: 14, 16) considered āytam an allophone of Tamil /y/ before obstruents, but there is no real evidence for this assumption.

    2003, Bhadiraju Krishnamurti, The Dravidian Languages, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN

    Antonyms: sonorant

  2. medicineAnything that obstructs, especially in the passages of the body.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCausing obstruction; blocking up.

Similar
hindering

nounA consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway, causing turbulence; a plosive, fricative, or affricate.

Opposite
sonorant

Origin

  1. Latinobstruēns
  2. Latinobstruēns
  3. Englishobstruent

Learned borrowing from Latin obstruēns, obstruentis.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 阻音
  • 阻音 (zǔyīn)consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
German Obstruent, Geräuschlaut
  • Obstruentconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
  • Geräuschlautconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Greek φρακτικό
  • φρακτικό (fraktikó)consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Hungarian obstruens, zörejhang
  • obstruensconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
  • zörejhangconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Japanese 阻害音
  • 阻害音 (sogaion)consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Polish spółgłoska właściwa, obstruent
  • spółgłoska właściwaconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
  • obstruentconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Portuguese obstruinte, consoante obstruente
  • obstruinteconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
  • consoante obstruenteconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Russian смы́чный
  • смы́чный (smýčnyj)consonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Swedish obstruent
  • obstruentconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Vietnamese âm ồn
  • âm ồnconsonant sound formed by obstructing the airway
Cite this entry
APA

obstruent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruent

MLA

“obstruent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruent. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obstruent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obstruent.

Source: obstruent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.