impede

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English

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.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɪmˈpiːd/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːd

Verb

impede (third-person singular simple present impedes, present participle impeding, simple past and past participle impeded)

  1. (transitive) To get in the way of; to hinder.
    impede someone's progress
    • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
      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.
    • 1992, Robert Jordan, “Chapter 31: Assurances”, in The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time; 4), London: Orbit Books, published 2021, →ISBN, page 501:
      “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?”
    • 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 2 July 2025:
      The human-machine imbalance made Sellers concerned that the modern thirst for AI-powered optimization was starting to impede human interaction.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ped- (0 c, 67 e)

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Further reading

Anagrams

Galician

Verb

impede

  1. (reintegrationist norm) inflection of impedir:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Portuguese

Verb

impede

  1. inflection of impedir:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative
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