What does hindering mean?
Hindering means making an action, process, or development slower, more difficult, or impossible to complete as intended. The word can function as a participial adjective, as in "hindering progress," or as a verb form describing an act of obstruction. It is often associated with practical barriers such as poor planning, adverse conditions, technical problems, or conflicting regulations. Hindering is generally milder than forbidding or completely preventing: a person or event may hinder progress without bringing it to a complete halt. Although used across formal and informal contexts, the word is especially common in professional, legal, academic, and administrative writing. It is also useful when precision matters, since it distinguishes delayed or obstructed progress from an outcome that has been stopped altogether.
Tending to make progress, movement, or development more difficult or impossible.
"The company redesigned its approval process to remove steps that were hindering innovation."
Common in formal and professional contexts; usually placed before a noun such as "progress," "development," or "growth."
The present participle and gerund of hinder, meaning to delay, obstruct, or make more difficult.
"Fog at the airport hindered hundreds of passengers from reaching their destinations."
In this use, hindering is a verb form of hinder rather than a separate lexical adjective.
To hinder is to place a barrier in someone's way; to hinder progress is to delay an outcome without necessarily stopping it completely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hindering come from?
Hindering is derived from the English verb hinder, which developed from Old English hindrian in the Middle English period. That verb is generally traced to Proto-Germanic *hinderijaną and the Indo-European root *hind-, associated with "behind." Related cognates include German hindern, Dutch hinderen, and Old Norse hindra, all meaning to delay or obstruct.
Related word forms
How hindering is actually used
The word is neutral in tone but is most common in formal or professional contexts. As a verb form, it usually describes an active obstacle; as an adjective, it characteristically precedes a noun such as "progress," "development," or "access."