Obstacle

How to spell obstacle

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce obstacle

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does obstacle mean?

1. nounSomething that blocks the way or hinders progress toward a goal.

Obstacle in a sentence

• The high cost of childcare is the biggest obstacle to her returning to work.

• The runners had to clear every obstacle on the course without slowing down.

Where does obstacle come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin obstaculum, which named a thing that stands in the way; it was formed from the verb obstare, meaning literally 'to stand against' or 'to block', built from the prefix ob- 'against, in front of' and stare 'to stand'. The little ending -culum was a Latin device for naming an instrument or means, so an obstaculum was, quite literally, a standing-against device. English took the word in during the 1300s by way of Old French obstacle, and the meaning has stayed remarkably stable: anything, physical or figurative, that blocks progress. The stare root is a busy one, sitting inside many English relatives such as 'stable', 'station', 'stationary' and 'circumstance', all carrying the idea of standing. Remembering that the middle is sta (to stand) and the ending is the faint -cle (not -cal or -icle) helps fix the spelling, since the unstressed final syllable is where adults usually slip.

How the word is built

• ob- (against, in the way)
• sta (from Latin stare, to stand)
• -cle (from -culum, an instrument or means)