obstacle

obstacle — noun

1. anything physical or abstract — a wall, a fallen tree, a lack of money, a strict

1.名詞C1
釋義

anything physical or abstract — a wall, a fallen tree, a lack of money, a strict rule — that stops you from moving ahead or reaching a goal, or that forces you to work harder to get there.

例句

A fallen oak tree was a huge obstacle on the road into the village.

physical obstacle: object blocking a path

For Maya, shyness was the biggest obstacle to making new friends at school.

obstacle to + -ing for an abstract barrier

同義詞
  • barrier

    often abstract and large-scale (trade barrier, language barrier); suggests something hard to cross at all.

  • hurdle

    informal; suggests a difficulty you can jump over with effort, often one of several in sequence.

  • hindrance

    more formal; emphasises slowing or annoying delay rather than total blocking.

  • impediment

    formal, often legal or medical (speech impediment); suggests a built-in or lasting limitation.

反義詞
  • aid

    something that helps progress instead of blocking it.

  • advantage

    a positive factor that makes a goal easier to reach.

文法句型

obstacle to + noun/-ing

obstacle in + noun's + way

用法筆記

Often followed by 'to' + noun or -ing form when naming what is blocked (an obstacle to peace, an obstacle to learning). Common verbs are 'face', 'overcome', 'remove', and 'present'. The thing called an obstacle can be concrete (a rock, a barrier) or abstract (fear, cost, a rule).

常見錯誤

❌It is an obstacle for me to study English.
✅Lack of time is an obstacle to my studying English.
💡use 'obstacle to + noun/-ing', not 'obstacle for someone to do'.
❌She passed every obstacle in the race.
✅She cleared every obstacle in the race.
💡with physical obstacles in sport, the verb is usually 'clear', 'jump', or 'overcome', not 'pass'.