Synonyms

impede

American

[im-peed] / ɪmˈpid /

verb (used with object)

to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder.

Synonyms:

thwart, block, stop, check, delay, slow

Antonyms:

encourage, advance

impede British

/ ɪmˈpiːd /

verb

(tr) to restrict or retard in action, progress, etc; hinder; obstruct

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See prevent.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of impede

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin impedīre “to entangle,” literally, “to snare the feet”; see im- ¹, pedi- ( def. )

Explanation

To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. Carrying six heavy bags will impede your progress if you're trying to walk across town in a hurry. Impede comes from the Latin impedire which literally means "to hold the feet," formed from the prefix in-, ("in") plus pes ("foot"). Think about walking with a cast on your foot — how slow and awkward that would be. If you struggle with reading, that might impede your progress in your social studies class. An impediment is something that impedes, such as a physical defect that affects speech — a speech impediment.

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Vocabulary lists containing impede

List 1

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The Tragedy of Macbeth

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Monster

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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.

The big risk of screwworm spreading significantly within Texas is that it could substantially impede the growth of cattle herds, Maloni said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Convention on Privileges and Immunities, he can do so whenever “the immunity would impede the course of justice.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Likewise, Epstein saw #MeToo as a problem to be neutralized because the success of any social movement in which women were treated as reliable narrators of their own exploitation would impede his own racket.”

From Salon • May 23, 2026

“The shift away from tent-dwelling towards rough sleeping will impede strategies to resolve unsheltered homelessness,” the new report said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

As in all consensus-driven bodies, though, members felt intense pressure not to impede progress with frivolous objections.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023