impede
v.v. to slow something down or make it difficult for someone to move or make progress.
v. to delay or block the progress or movement of something by creating obstacles. Transitive; requires a direct object.
The heavy rain will impede our travel plans today.
Strict government regulations can sometimes impede the growth of small businesses by increasing their administrative costs.
The investigation was significantly impeded by a lack of cooperation from key witnesses and the accidental destruction of several crucial documents.
Borrowed from Latin impediō (“to shackle”), from pēs (“foot”) (compare pedestrian). First attested use as a verb was in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, see quotations.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used in passive constructions.
The traffic impeded to our arrival.The traffic impeded our arrival.Impede is a transitive verb and does not take the preposition 'to' before its object.