“Hinder” means to make something more difficult, slow it down, or stop it from happening. It’s most often used as a verb about progress, plans, or someone’s actions.

Basic meaning of “hinder”

  • To make it difficult for someone to do something or for something to happen.
  • To slow or delay progress.
  • Sometimes, to stop or prevent an action from happening.

You can think of “hinder” as putting obstacles in someone’s path so they move slower or maybe can’t move at all.

Common ways it’s used

  • Hinder + something
    • “The heavy rain hindered the match.”
  • Hinder someone/something from (doing) something
    • “Injuries hindered him from playing his best.”
* “Financial problems hindered her from going on the trip.”

In everyday English, people use “hinder” in both formal and semi-formal contexts, especially for work, study, or progress.

Example sentences

  1. “Sanctions are hindering the country’s economic growth.”
  1. “Snow and high winds hindered their journey.”
  1. “These rules might hinder rather than help progress.”
  1. “High winds have hindered firefighters in their efforts to put out the blaze.”

Quick nuance: “slow” vs “stop”

  • If something hinders you, it may:
    • Just slow you down (you still succeed, but with difficulty).
    • Or prevent you from doing it at all.

So “hinder” sits between “make it harder” and “completely block,” depending on context. TL;DR:
“Hinder ” = to make an action or progress more difficult, slower, or sometimes to prevent it altogether.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.