impede
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Related Words
See prevent.
Other Word Forms
- impeder noun
- impedibility noun
- impedible adjective
- impedingly adverb
- unimpeding adjective
- unimpedingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of impede
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin impedīre “to entangle,” literally, “to snare the feet”; 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.
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.
“CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
Central Command said its forces would not impede “vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Antidebt crusaders, like the personal-finance radio host Dave Ramsey, have been speaking for years about how paying thousands of dollars in interest can seriously impede a family’s ability to make progress on their other goals.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
The Fed has some tools to impede the economy from melting up or down.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
There was nothing to impede them this time, and Malcolm brought the canoe into a side street away from the main flood, where it was a little quieter.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
