Word
hinder
Phoneticshin·der
/ˈhɪndɝ/
Definitions
01to obstruct or delay
v. to make it harder for someone to do something or to slow down a process.
v. to create an obstacle that impedes progress or makes an action difficult to complete. Transitive, requiring a direct object.
“The heavy rain will hinder our progress as we try to drive up the mountain.”
“High interest rates and a lack of skilled labour continue to hinder the growth of small businesses in the region.”
Usage
Often used with a direct object representing the person or process being slowed down.
Antonyms
02the buttocks
n. a polite or funny way to talk about a person's bottom.
n. a euphemistic or slang term for the buttocks.
“He fell right on his hinder after slipping on the ice.”
“The comedian made a lighthearted joke about his aging hinder, much to the amusement of the older audience members.”
Slang · Humorous · American English
Teaching tip
This noun sense is quite rare and mostly found in older American slang; 'bottom' or 'rear' are much more common in modern speech.
03at the back
adj. relating to the back part of something.
adj. situated at the rear or back. Usually non-gradable.
“The animal has strong hinder legs that help it jump very high.”
“The researcher noted a distinct marking on the hinder portion of the specimen's shell, which distinguished it from similar species.”
Formal · Technical
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it describes.
Real-World Examples
“Each day they make decisions that can help or hinder a family to understand how their relative died.” “My team’s recent research in rural Appalachia has found several ways that extreme weather is further hindering social activities.” 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”).
Inherited from Middle English hinder, comparative form of hind: more hind.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hinder