Dictionary

impede en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪmˈpiːd/
• (US) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To get in the way of; to hinder.
   • The human-machine imbalance made Sellers concerned that the modern thirst for AI-powered optimization was starting to impede human interaction. 2025 July 2, Lisa Bonos, Danielle Abril, “No one likes meetings. They’re sending their AI note takers instead.”, in The Washington Post, →ISSN, archived from the original on 02 Jul 2025:
   • “Everything had been ticking along like a fine clock, even with Bornhald impeding, until this new one appeared with his Gray Men. Ordeith scrubbed bony fingers through greasy hair. Why could not his dreams at least be his own?” 1992, Robert Jordan, “Chapter 31: Assurances”, in The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time; 4), London: Orbit Books, published 2021, →ISBN, page 501:
   • impede someone's progress
   • That I may powre my Spirits in thine Eare, / And chastise with the valour of my Tongue / All that impeides thee from the Golden Round, / Which Fate and Metaphysicall ayde doth seeme / To haue thee crown'd withall. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:

Forms

Antonyms

expede · help · expedite · assist

Deriveds

impedance · disimpede · impeder · impedible · unimpeded

Relateds

impediment · expedite · expede

Synonyms

hinder

Translations (46)

ro împiedica (to get in the way of; to hinder) · fr entraver (to get in the way of; to hinder) · pt impedir (to get in the way of; to hinder) · es impedir (to get in the way of; to hinder) · it intralciare (to get in the way of; to hinder) · de behindern (to get in the way of; to hinder) · no hindre (to get in the way of; to hinder) · vi ngăn cản (to get in the way of; to hinder) · tr engellemek (to get in the way of; to hinder) · ru препя́тствовать (to get in the way of; to hinder) · de hemmen (to get in the way of; to hinder) · de erschweren (to get in the way of; to hinder) · cmn 阻礙 /阻碍 (to get in the way of; to hinder) · vi cản trở (to get in the way of; to hinder) · it impedire (to get in the way of; to hinder) · de hindern (to get in the way of; to hinder) · it ostacolare (to get in the way of; to hinder) · ca impedir (to get in the way of; to hinder) · hu gátol (to get in the way of; to hinder) · nl in de weg staan (to get in the way of; to hinder) · bg преча (to get in the way of; to hinder) · fa بازداشتن (to get in the way of; to hinder) · bg задържам (to get in the way of; to hinder) · de vereiteln (to get in the way of; to hinder) · cs bránit (to get in the way of; to hinder) · ar عَرْقَلَ (to get in the way of; to hinder) · grc ἐγκόπτω (to get in the way of; to hinder) · nl beletten (to get in the way of; to hinder) · mi kaiwaenga (to get in the way of; to hinder) · cs zabránit (to get in the way of; to hinder) · ar عَوَّقَ (to get in the way of; to hinder) · grc κωλύω (to get in the way of; to hinder) · mi taupare (to get in the way of; to hinder) · la impediō (to get in the way of; to hinder) · es empecer (to get in the way of; to hinder) · gl impedir (to get in the way of; to hinder) · nl belemmeren (to get in the way of; to hinder) · fi haitata (to get in the way of; to hinder) · bg спирам (to get in the way of; to hinder) · mi whakahōtaetae (to get in the way of; to hinder) · yue 阻住 (to get in the way of; to hinder) · mi rore (to get in the way of; to hinder) · got 𐌼𐌰𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to get in the way of; to hinder) · cs překážet (to get in the way of; to hinder) · nl hinderen (to get in the way of; to hinder) · ru меша́ть (to get in the way of; to hinder)

wikipedia: Macbeth · wikipedia: William Shakespeare