All words

impede

Meaning

To hinder or delay progress by creating obstacles or resistance.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

The heavy snow began to impede their journey. Each step was a struggle, the white drifts piling up, making it harder to move forward. They worried the storm would completely stop them from reaching their destination.

The thick, muddy swamp water made walking incredibly hard. Each step felt like dragging a stone. The slow progress threatened to impede our urgent mission, the rising sun a constant reminder of the time we were losing to this stubborn, clinging earth.

The sudden rockslide threatened to impede the progress of the rare orchid harvesters. Their valuable specimens were already wilting, and the tons of stone blocked their only path down the mountain. Delay meant losing the entire season's yield.

My cat's fluffy tail loves to get tangled in my shoelaces, which really does impede me when I'm trying to run for the bus. It's like a furry speed bump, slowing me down when all I want is to get away from the vacuum cleaner.

The rogue squirrel, a fluffy menace named Steve, loved to steal my dad's prize-winning petunias. His tiny paws would stash the flowers in his cheeks, each bloom threatening to impede his frantic escape up the oak tree. My dad's garden plans were constantly delayed by Steve's floral thievery.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The thick fog rolled in, a white wall that threatened to impede our progress. We couldn't see the path ahead, each step uncertain, making us fear we'd never reach our destination.

The toddler's relentless tantrum, fueled by a dropped cookie, threatened to impede the entire grocery shopping trip. Every aisle became a battleground as her wails and flailing limbs created an insurmountable obstacle, making it impossible for her parents to move forward with their list.

The blizzard raged, its icy grip threatening to impede the fragile progress of the arctic research team. Each gust of wind, each swirling snowdrift, acted as a stubborn barrier, slowing their desperate trek to the shelter, a constant, gnawing delay against their dwindling hope.

My cat's insistence on napping in the middle of the hallway, a furry, snoring roadblock, managed to impede my desperate dash for the last donut. Every step was a comical ballet of sidestepping and frustrated sighs, delaying my sugary victory considerably.

The rogue squirrel, a furry menace with a penchant for shiny objects, managed to impede the entire town's annual competitive synchronized thumb-wrestling championship by burying the champion's lucky thimble in a secret acorn stash. This unexpected obstacle left participants flailing wildly, much to the amusement of the spectators.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The thick mud and fallen trees impede their desperate progress. Each step is a struggle, every obstacle a crushing weight on their dwindling hope. They cannot afford to be delayed further; their survival depends on reaching safety before it is too late.

The constant downpour and rising creek threatened to impede their progress. Mud clawed at their boots, each step a struggle against the relentless, soggy resistance. They just needed to reach the old radio tower before sundown.

The constant, droning hum of the bio-luminescent algae farms began to truly impede their progress. The shimmering light, once mesmerizing, now felt like a thick fog, making it difficult to navigate the submerged ruins. They needed to reach the central console before the tide shifted, but every ripple and glimmer seemed to hold them back.

The herd of particularly stubborn llamas, inexplicably obsessed with a single shiny button, began to impede the progress of the annual llama parade. Their deliberate dawdling, punctuated by indignant snorts, turned a festive march into a glacial procession, much to the chagrin of the mayor.

The rogue squirrel, a surprisingly astute taxidermist, began meticulously stuffing acorns into the engine manifold. This unusual diversion, intended to secure winter provisions, would significantly impede any attempt to start the vintage steam-powered unicycle, leaving its unfortunate rider stranded amidst a flock of bewildered pigeons.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The torrential downpour and crumbling infrastructure began to impede the relief efforts, each downed tree and flooded road a significant hindrance to delivering essential provisions. Volunteers worked tirelessly, but the sheer magnitude of the obstacles made progress agonizingly slow.

A tenacious fungal blight threatened to impede the delicate growth of the phosphorescent lichen, crucial for the subterranean civilization's meager illumination. Their nascent efforts to cultivate a bioluminescent reserve, vital for survival in the perpetual gloom, were imperiled by this insidious enemy, delaying their hope for a brighter future.

The labyrinthine bureaucracy and outdated regulations undeniably impede the swift distribution of life-saving antivenom to the remote, isolated communities grappling with venomous serpent incursions. This bureaucratic inertia prolongs suffering, a stark testament to how administrative obstacles can delay critical aid when it's most needed.

The audacious squirrel, its cheeks bulging with pilfered pecans, attempted a daring leap across the lawn. However, a rogue sprinkler head, a veritable geyser of aquatic consternation, began to impede its aerial escapade, drenching the furry bandit and sending it skittering back into the rhododendrons, its grand heist thoroughly thwarted.

My meticulously constructed, steampunk-inspired automaton, designed for the sole purpose of ferrying artisanal cheeses to discerning palates, met its Waterloo when a rogue flock of particularly truculent ostriches decided to inaugurate a miniature, avian-themed jousting tournament in its path. Their belligerent flapping and preposterous leg-flailing did not just slow its progress; they actively impede its every meticulously geared lurch, causing a magnificent, clanking cascade of Gruyère and Emmental to carpet the savanna.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

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