hinder

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled hinderin

US /ˈhɪndɚ/ UK /ˈhɪndə/ See IPA manual

verb adj noun Freq #21987

Meanings

1

verb
To make it harder for something to happen or for someone to do something.

The heavy snow hindered the rescue team's efforts.
2

adj
At the back or rear.

The dog injured one of its hinder legs.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make it harder for... delay frustrate hamper impede obstruct prevent thwart

2 adj · at the back or rear. back hind posterior rear

More behedge blunt difficult diminish forestay forslow handicap hurt impair

Opposites

abet assist expedite facilitate further help hurdle nurture

Word family

Forms hinderedhinderinghinders

Derived forms hinderablehinderancehindererhindermenthindersomehindranceunhinderunhindered

Related forms abligatebar block cap counteract cumber detain encumber filibuster forestall hindrance inhibit

Etymology

From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”).

hindren Middle English hindrian Old English *hindrōną Proto-Germanic *hinder Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

# hinder

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, adj, noun
**IPA (US):** ˈhɪndɚ
**IPA (UK):** ˈhɪndə
**Frequency rank:** 21987

## Meanings
1. To make it harder for something to happen or for someone to do something.
2. At the back or rear.

## Examples
- The heavy snow hindered the rescue team's efforts.
- The dog injured one of its hinder legs.

## Synonyms
- behedge
- blunt
- delay
- difficult
- diminish
- forestay
- forslow
- frustrate
- hamper
- handicap
- hurt
- impair

## Antonyms
- abet
- assist
- expedite
- facilitate
- further
- help
- hurdle
- nurture

## Derived Forms
- hinderable
- hinderance
- hinderer
- hinderment
- hindersome
- hindrance
- unhinder
- unhindered

## Related Forms
- abligate
- bar
- block
- cap
- counteract
- cumber
- detain
- encumber
- filibuster
- forestall
- hindrance
- inhibit

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: hindren
- Root: hindrian
- Root: *hindrōną
- Root: *hinder

## Etymology
From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”).

## AI Etymology
Hinder is from Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”). Important recorded forms include hindren (Middle English), hindrian (Old English), *hindrōną (Proto-Germanic), and *hinder (Proto-Germanic). Current senses include to make it harder for something to happen or for someone to do something and at the back or rear. The wider family includes derived forms such as hinderable, hinderance, hinderer, hinderment, and hindersome and related words such as abligate, bar, block, cap, and counteract.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown

hinder

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback