What does obstructed mean?
Obstructed describes something that has been blocked or made difficult to pass through, see, reach, or continue. It is especially common in discussions of roads, buildings, transport routes, visibility, and airflow: an obstruction may be physical, such as fallen trees or heavy traffic, or figurative, such as legal or bureaucratic barriers. The word often suggests that normal movement or progress has been significantly impeded rather than merely reduced. Used adjectivally, as in “an obstructed view,” it is formal but widely understood. Used as the past tense or past participle of the verb “obstruct,” it describes an action that prevents passage, access, visibility, or progress. Its root in the Latin word obstruere, meaning “to build against,” reflects the idea of placing something in the way. The word is useful in both practical descriptions and more formal discussions of obstruction.
Blocked, impeded, or prevented from moving, passing, or being seen clearly.
"The construction workers provided an obstructed passage for pedestrians."
Common in formal contexts involving traffic, routes, views, airflow, and legal access.
The past tense and past participle of obstruct, meaning to block or hinder movement, access, visibility, or progress.
"Protesters obstructed the entrance to the government building."
This is an inflected form of the verb “obstruct” and is not normally used to identify the verb in isolation.
Obstructed comes from the Latin obstruere, literally “to build against,” describing something put in the way of a passage or view.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does obstructed come from?
The word comes from Latin obstruere, formed from ob- (“against”) and struere (“to build”), and originally referred to building something up or closing a passage. English borrowed the related verb “obstruct,” from which “obstructed” was formed. The same Latin root appears in cognates such as “obstruction” and “obstructive,” while construct and construction belong to a broader family associated with struere, “to build.”
Related word forms
How obstructed is actually used
As an adjective, “obstructed” is common in formal and technical contexts, especially in relation to roads, views, airflow, and legal obstruction. As a verb form, it usually appears in the past tense or past participle rather than as the dictionary form.