What does hamper mean?
To hamper means to make progress, movement, or activity more difficult. It is often used with words such as progress, development, efforts, and trade, suggesting that something is being delayed or prevented from working as intended. The word can imply either a practical obstacle, such as bad weather or a damaged road, or a broader restriction on activity. Hamper is related to the noun meaning a large wicker basket, often used for carrying food or gifts. A Christmas hamper, for example, is a decorated basket containing seasonal foods and presents. The two meanings are distinct but fitly associated: a basket is something that carries a load, while the verb describes something that gets in the way of progress. In everyday use, hamper usually conveys obstruction rather than complete prohibition, making it suitable for describing difficulties that slow or constrain an activity without necessarily ending it.
To impede, hinder, or obstruct the progress, movement, or activity of someone or something.
"The shortage of materials hampered production throughout the week."
Common in formal, professional, and general English; often describes an obstacle that slows or constrains activity rather than completely prevents it.
A large wicker basket, usually with a lid, used for carrying food, goods, or presents.
"She sent a hamper filled with homemade preserves to her cousin."
The expression Christmas hamper is especially common in British English, while the noun is also used in US English.
The plural hampers is used when referring to more than one basket or container.
"The volunteers packed several hampers with food for local families."
The word shifts from carrying a load to getting in someone's way, so a hamper can be either a basket or an obstacle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hamper come from?
The word has historically distinct strands as a verb meaning 'to hinder' and as a noun meaning a large basket. The basket word appears in Middle English and is commonly traced to Middle Dutch hamper, while the verb developed in English in the sense of restraining or encumbering. The precise medieval ancestry of the verbal sense is not entirely certain, so related forms should not be inferred without qualification.
Related word forms
How hamper is actually used
The verb is common in formal, professional, and general English, with a slightly formal or consequential tone when describing serious obstruction. The noun is especially familiar in British English in the expression Christmas hamper, although the basket itself is used in both British and US English.