Meaning & use
obstructed
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Blocked by something, so that it is hard or impossible to pass through or see past.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in an obstructed view, or after a linking verb: the road was obstructed.
Patterns
- an obstructed view
- be obstructed by something
We booked cheap seats with an obstructed view of the stage.
The drain was obstructed by leaves and mud.
An obstructed airway is an emergency that needs help immediately.
adjectiveafter a verb
Prevented from developing or happening because someone has put difficulties in the way.
Grammar: Often follows be or become: progress was obstructed by delays. It often has a by phrase naming the cause.
Patterns
- be obstructed by someone
- progress is obstructed
The investigation was obstructed by missing records.
Reform was obstructed by a small group of senators.
His career felt obstructed by the lack of opportunities in town.
Word forms
| comparative | more obstructed |
|---|---|
| superlative | most obstructed |
Common combinations
- obstructed view
- The pillar gave us an obstructed view of the stage.
- obstructed by
- The entrance was obstructed by a delivery truck.
- obstructed airway
- An obstructed airway can be cleared with first aid.
- obstructed passage
- The cave's obstructed passage forced the explorers to turn back.
- obstructed justice
- The official was charged after he obstructed justice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blocked
- Blocked is the everyday word for stopped passage, and obstructed sounds more formal and suggests something is in the way.
- hindered
- Hindered means slowed or made harder, but not necessarily stopped completely.
- impeded
- Impeded is formal and emphasizes that movement or progress was slowed by something in the path.
- clogged
- Clogged is used mainly for pipes and passages filled with sticky material, which is narrower than obstructed.
Opposites
Word family
- obstruct verb
- to block a path or make progress difficult
- obstruction noun
- something that blocks, or the act of blocking
- obstructive adjective
- deliberately causing delay or difficulty
- unobstructed adjective
- not blocked
- obstructionist noun
- a person who deliberately holds up progress
Commonly confused: obstructed or constructed? obstructed or destructed?
obstructed vs constructed
Constructed means built, and it is the opposite kind of idea to obstructed, even though they sound alike.
obstructed vs destructed
Destructed is a rare form meaning destroyed, not blocked.
Practice
The tickets are cheaper because the seats have an ___ view of the stage.
Choose one answer.
An obstructed view is one partly blocked, which explains the lower price. Unobstructed would normally cost more, and constructed and instructed do not describe a view.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “obstructed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.