impede
To make it harder for someone or something to move forward or get things done.
Explanation at your level:
At this level, think of impede as 'stop' or 'slow'. If you are walking and a big box is in your way, that box is impeding you. It makes it hard to walk fast.
When you want to do your homework but your phone keeps buzzing, the phone is impeding your work. It makes your work slower and harder to finish.
In daily life, we use impede when something creates a barrier. For example, 'The snowstorm impeded our travel plans,' means the snow made it difficult for us to go where we wanted.
Impede is a great alternative to 'hinder' or 'block'. It sounds more professional. You might say, 'Poor communication can impede the success of a team project.'
At an advanced level, impede is used to describe systemic issues. You might write, 'Bureaucratic red tape often serves to impede economic growth,' highlighting how structures can act as obstacles.
Mastering impede involves nuance. It implies a 'shackling' of potential. It is distinct from 'prevent'—where 'prevent' implies a total stop, 'impede' suggests a persistent, nagging resistance that hampers efficiency.
30초 단어
- Impede means to slow down progress.
- It is a formal verb.
- It comes from the Latin for 'shackling feet'.
- Use it when something creates an obstacle.
When you impede something, you are acting like a speed bump. You aren't necessarily stopping the car entirely, but you are definitely making it harder for the driver to get to their destination quickly.
Think of it as friction in the real world. Whether it is a physical object blocking a hallway or a bad habit blocking your success, the core idea is resistance. It is a very useful word because it captures that specific feeling of being slowed down by an outside force.
The word impede comes from the Latin word impedire. If you break that down, im- means 'in' and ped- means 'foot'. So, literally, it meant to 'shackle the feet'.
In ancient times, this was a very literal term used for prisoners or animals that had their feet tied together so they couldn't run away. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from physically tying someone's legs to the more abstract idea of slowing down progress in any area of life.
You will mostly hear impede in formal or professional settings. You might read it in a legal document, a news report, or a business proposal.
It is a strong word, so avoid using it when you just mean 'annoy'. Use it when something is genuinely creating a barrier to success or movement. Common collocations include impede progress, impede development, and impede investigations.
While 'impede' itself isn't usually the center of an idiom, it is often associated with these concepts: Throw a wrench in the works (to cause a problem that stops something from working), Stand in the way (to block someone), Hold back (to prevent progress), Tie one's hands (to prevent someone from acting freely), and Drag one's feet (to delay doing something).
Impede is a regular verb. Its past tense is impeded and its continuous form is impeding. The stress is on the second syllable: im-PEED.
It rhymes with words like exceed, proceed, and stampede. It is almost always used with a direct object—you impede something or someone.
Fun Fact
It shares a root with 'pedestrian'!
Pronunciation Guide
Short 'i' then long 'ee'
Clear 'd' at the end
Common Errors
- pronouncing as 'im-ped'
- stressing first syllable
- swallowing the final d
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
moderate
requires formal context
advanced vocabulary
standard
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
고급
Grammar to Know
Passive Voice
The project was impeded by delays.
Third Person Singular
It impedes.
Adverb Modification
Severely impede.
Examples by Level
The chair impedes the door.
Chair blocks door
Subject-verb-object
Heavy rain impeded our walk.
The wall impedes the view.
Don't let fear impede your dreams.
His injury impeded his running.
The fence impedes the dog.
Bad weather impeded the flight.
Slow internet impedes my study.
The crowd impeded the police.
The new law might impede trade.
Lack of funds impeded the project.
Dust can impede your breathing.
The trees impede the sunlight.
Traffic impeded our progress.
His pride impeded his growth.
The mask impeded his speech.
The gate impedes the path.
The investigation was impeded by lies.
Regulations often impede innovation.
The debris impeded the rescue effort.
Fear of failure can impede success.
His shyness impeded his social life.
The delay impeded the schedule.
The fog impeded the pilot's vision.
Structural issues impeded construction.
The lack of data impeded the research.
Corruption continues to impede progress.
The blockade impeded the supply chain.
Internal politics impeded the reform.
The cold weather impeded the harvest.
His bias impeded his judgment.
The narrow road impeded the traffic.
The policy change impeded growth.
The archaic laws impede social mobility.
The pervasive silence impeded communication.
The structural flaw impeded the stability.
The complexity impeded our understanding.
The heavy armor impeded his movement.
The dense fog impeded the navigation.
The social stigma impeded her recovery.
The rigid system impeded creativity.
자주 쓰는 조합
Idioms & Expressions
"throw a wrench in the works"
to cause a sudden problem
The sudden rain threw a wrench in our plans.
casual"stand in the way"
to be an obstacle
Don't let him stand in your way.
neutral"drag one's feet"
to delay intentionally
Stop dragging your feet and finish.
casual"tie one's hands"
to prevent someone from acting
The rules tie my hands.
neutral"hinder someone's path"
to block progress
He hindered her path to success.
literaryEasily Confused
similar sound
impel is to push forward, impede is to slow
Fear impeded him, but ambition impelled him.
same meaning
hinder is more common in daily speech
Both words work, but hinder is softer.
similar meaning
obstruct is physical blocking
The box obstructed the door.
similar meaning
thwart is to stop a plan entirely
They thwarted his escape.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + impede + object
The wall impedes the path.
Subject + will impede + object
This will impede progress.
Subject + was impeded by + agent
He was impeded by the crowd.
Subject + can impede + object
Stress can impede success.
Subject + has impeded + object
The rain has impeded travel.
어휘 가족
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
관련
How to Use It
6
Formality Scale
자주 하는 실수
Impede means to slow, not necessarily to stop completely.
Impede is the opposite of impel.
Impede is a verb; the noun is impediment.
Ensure you don't add an extra 'e' in the middle.
Impede sounds too formal for daily chat.
Tips
Memory Palace
Picture a 'ped' (foot) being 'im' (in) a trap.
Professional Writing
Use it to sound more precise than 'stop'.
Formal Tone
Use it in essays, not texts.
Verb Pattern
Always follow with an object.
Stress
Stress the second syllable.
Noun/Verb
Don't use it as a noun.
Latin Roots
It comes from feet shackles.
Synonym Swap
Replace 'slow' with 'impede' in your writing.
Journaling
Write about obstacles.
Business
Use it for project delays.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Impede: I-M-PED-E. Imagine a PEDestrian (ped) being stopped by an I-M-pediment.
Visual Association
A person trying to run with chains on their feet.
Word Web
챌린지
Write three sentences about things that impede your daily routine.
어원
Latin
Original meaning: to shackle the feet
문화적 맥락
None.
Used often in legal and formal reporting.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
at work
- impede productivity
- impede workflow
- impede communication
travel
- impede travel
- impede traffic
- impede movement
education
- impede learning
- impede progress
- impede understanding
legal
- impede justice
- impede investigation
- impede process
Conversation Starters
"What is something that often impedes your productivity?"
"Do you think technology helps or impedes our social skills?"
"Have you ever had a project impeded by bad weather?"
"What physical barriers might impede someone in a city?"
"How can a manager avoid impeding their team's work?"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time when you felt your progress was impeded.
Write about a habit that impedes your personal growth.
How do you overcome things that impede your goals?
Reflect on how you can facilitate progress instead of impeding it.
자주 묻는 질문
8 질문No, it means to slow down or make difficult.
Yes, you can impede a person's movement.
It is common in formal writing.
Impediment.
im-PEED.
Yes, it is more formal than 'slow down'.
Yes, it implies a negative obstacle.
Yes, that is a very common usage.
셀프 테스트
The big rock ___ the path.
Third person singular.
What does impede mean?
It means to hinder progress.
Impede means to help someone.
It means the opposite.
Word
뜻
These are synonyms.
The traffic did impede progress.
점수: /5
Summary
To impede is to put a speed bump in the way of progress.
- Impede means to slow down progress.
- It is a formal verb.
- It comes from the Latin for 'shackling feet'.
- Use it when something creates an obstacle.
Memory Palace
Picture a 'ped' (foot) being 'im' (in) a trap.
Professional Writing
Use it to sound more precise than 'stop'.
Formal Tone
Use it in essays, not texts.
Verb Pattern
Always follow with an object.
