obstacle
/ˈɒbstəkəl/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: obstacles
Meaning · English
Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively
Noun
Examples
A big obstacle to understanding the manual was that it had been poorly translated from the Japanese.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “obstacle” mean?
Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress, either physically or figuratively
Is “obstacle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.