impediment

[im-ped-uh-muhnt] / ɪmˈpɛd ə mənt /

NOUN

obstruction, hindrance

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barrier bottleneck burden defect deterrent difficulty disadvantage drawback flaw handicap hazard hitch hurdle inhibition obstacle red tape restriction setback snag stumbling block

STRONG

bar barricade block blockage catch chain check clog cramp curb delay detriment drag encumbrance fault holdup load manacle millstone prohibition restraint retardation rub shackle stoppage stricture tie trammel wall

WEAK

Catch-22 dead weight retardment road block

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advantage aid assistance benefit blessing boon freedom help opening perfection strength

STRONG

allowance clearance liberation permission

WEAK

facilitation furtherance support

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Institutional disaggregation" is an impediment to solving this, says Dawda.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

On one outing I noticed Sarah starting to draw away from me with no impediment ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

That could be a serious impediment for Anthropic, whose Claude artificial-intelligence model is widely used by the U.S. military and government contractors.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

“There is no statutory impediment in the U.S. to closing Paramount’s proposed acquisition of WBD,” Paramount said in a regulatory filing.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

They had brought us to America for the sole reason of giving us a better life, and they didn't want that life to become an impediment to our relationship.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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