obstruct
verb /əbˈstrʌkt/
/əbˈstrʌkt/
(formal)Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they obstruct | /əbˈstrʌkt/ /əbˈstrʌkt/ |
| he / she / it obstructs | /əbˈstrʌkts/ /əbˈstrʌkts/ |
| past simple obstructed | /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ |
| past participle obstructed | /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ /əbˈstrʌktɪd/ |
| -ing form obstructing | /əbˈstrʌktɪŋ/ /əbˈstrʌktɪŋ/ |
- obstruct something to block a road, an entrance, a passage, etc. so that somebody/something cannot get through, see past, etc.
- You can't park here, you're obstructing my driveway.
- First check that the accident victim doesn't have an obstructed airway.
- The pillar obstructed our view of the stage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- partially
- completely
- deliberately
- …
- in
- obstruct somebody/something to prevent somebody/something from doing something or making progress, especially when this is done deliberately synonym hinder
- They were charged with obstructing the police in the course of their duty.
- He accused terrorists of attempting to obstruct the peace process.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- partially
- completely
- deliberately
- …
- in
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin obstruct- ‘blocked up’, from the verb obstruere, from ob- ‘against’ + struere ‘build, pile up’.
Idioms
obstruct justice (North American English)
(British English pervert the course of justice)
- (law) to tell a lie or to do something in order to prevent the police, etc. from finding out the truth about a crime