Hinder
verb Base: hinder | Past: hindered | Past Participle: hindered | -ing: hindering | 3rd person: hinders
Definition
1. To limit someone’s ability to do something.
2. To make something slow or difficult.
2. To make something slow or difficult.
Context Alive
The construction work on the main road was causing chaos. Traffic jams hindered commuters trying to get to work on time, turning a twenty-minute journey into over an hour. People were frustrated and late for meetings all week.
Meanings
1 meaning 1 Make Something Slow or Difficult (Verb) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This meaning is about creating obstacles that slow progress or make something harder to achieve. Imagine trying to study for an exam while your neighbours are having a loud party — the noise hinders your concentration and makes it nearly impossible to focus. This is hindering — getting in the way of progress. You might say that a lack of funding is hindering research, or bad weather could hinder rescue efforts after a disaster. Or picture an athlete whose knee injury is hindering her performance, preventing her from running at full speed. The word suggests an obstacle blocking the way forward. ✏️ “Hinder” means to slow down or make difficult — it doesn’t mean to completely stop. If something completely stops progress, use “prevent” instead.
Vivid ExampleHis fear of public speaking hindered his career for years, causing him to turn down promotions and avoid meetings where he might have to present his ideas to colleagues.
Examples from the Street
“The bad weather hindered our progress on the hike.”
The poor conditions slowed us down / held us back on the walk
“Don’t let fear hinder you from pursuing your dreams.”
Don’t let being scared hold you back from chasing your goals
“Lack of funding is hindering the research.”
Insufficient money is blocking / slowing down the scientific work
Common Patterns
hinder (something) → slow down or obstruct something
hinder progress/development/growth → slow down advancement
hinder efforts/attempts → obstruct someone’s tries to do something
hinder someone from (verb-ing) → prevent or obstruct someone from doing something
be hindered by (something) → be held back or obstructed by something
seriously/severely hinder → significantly obstruct or slow down
hinder performance/productivity → negatively affect output or work
hinder recovery → slow down the healing process
hinder communication → obstruct the exchange of information
hinder the investigation → obstruct the enquiry
help or hinder → common pairing discussing positive vs negative effects
Collocations
3 collocationshinder progress
slow down or prevent advancement
severely hindered
greatly restricted in ability to proceed
hinder rather than help
make things worse instead of better
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Heavy rain hindered rescue efforts throughout the night
Intense downpours slowed down the emergency response until morning.
2
Bureaucracy continues to hinder progress on the construction project
Red tape keeps delaying advancement on the building work.
3
His lack of confidence hindered him from speaking up in meetings
His self-doubt held him back from contributing during discussions.
4
The investigation was hindered by uncooperative witnesses
The enquiry was obstructed by people who refused to provide information.
5
Poor internet connection seriously hindered our ability to work from home
A weak online signal significantly affected our capacity to do our jobs remotely.
6
Do these regulations help or hinder small businesses?
Do these rules assist or obstruct smaller companies?
7
Stress can hinder your performance in exams
Anxiety can negatively affect how well you do in tests.
8
The language barrier hindered communication between the teams
Not sharing a common tongue obstructed the exchange of information between the groups.
9
His knee injury hindered his recovery and kept him out for months
The damage to his leg slowed down his return to fitness and sidelined him for ages.
10
Don’t let negative thoughts hinder your success
Don’t allow pessimistic thinking to hold you back from achieving your goals.
Learner Examples
★
Fear of making mistakes can hinder students from practising their speaking skills
Being afraid of errors can hold learners back from working on their oral communication.
★
Large class sizes often hinder teachers’ ability to give individual feedback
Having too many pupils frequently limits instructors’ capacity to provide personal comments to each student.
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsobstruct
blocking progress
hamper
making something more difficult
impede
slowing down movement or progress
hold back
preventing advancement
Antonymshelp
making things easier
assist
providing support
promote
encouraging progress