What does obstructing mean?
Obstructing means blocking or impeding the movement, passage, or progress of something. It can describe a physical obstruction, such as a vehicle blocking traffic or trees blocking a view, as well as a less literal interference with an activity or decision. The word is widely used in British and American English and has a generally neutral tone, although it can suggest deliberate interference when the context is confrontational. In formal reports and legal or administrative writing, “obstructing” is especially common in phrases such as “obstructing traffic,” “obstructing the investigation,” or “obstructing progress.” As a present participle, it may follow “to” or function like an adjective before a noun. The verb “obstruct” comes from Latin obstruere, literally “to build against,” and has developed over time from the idea of putting something in the way to the modern sense of delaying or preventing progress.
verbPresent participle of obstruct: to block or impede the passage, movement, or progress of something.
- To block or impede the passage, movement, or progress of something.
- To make it difficult or impossible for someone to carry out an action.
"She spent the afternoon obstructing traffic while the road was repaired."
"A fallen tree was obstructing the only road through the forest."
"His repeated questions obstructed the committee from reaching a decision."
From Latin obstruere, meaning “to build against,” obstructing originally described putting something in the way before it became associated with hindering progress.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does obstructing come from?
The English verb “obstruct” derives from Latin obstruere, a compound of ob- “against” and struere “to build,” originally meaning to build something against or in the way of another thing. Its English use developed into the sense of blocking passage or hindering an action. Related English forms include “obstruction,” “obstructive,” and “unobstructed,” all of which continue the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How obstructing is actually used
As the present participle of obstruct, it can follow the verb “to” (“to obstructing traffic”) or stand alone before a noun (“an obstructing vehicle”). In formal writing, nouns such as “obstruction” may be preferred when the action is being treated as a general concept.
Easily confused with obstructing
Obstructing means physically or practically blocking something, whereas objecting means expressing disagreement or opposition.