Meaning & use

obstructive

adjective·Academic

Tending to block, hinder, or delay progress or a process.

See it in a sentence

The senator's obstructive tactics delayed the vote for nearly three weeks.

Doctors diagnosed him with an obstructive lung condition that made breathing difficult.

A note on using this word

Obstructive is common in both political contexts, describing deliberate delay, and medical contexts, describing physical blockage.

Words with a similar meaning

hinderingdisruptive

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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