Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Causing deliberate difficulty or delay; tending to obstruct: Describes a person, action, or thing that intentionally blocks, hinders, or slows down a process, activity, or goal.
   • Physically blocking a passage or movement: Describes something that creates a physical blockage or barrier.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The committee found his behavior to be highly obstructive to the investigation. (His actions deliberately hindered the progress of the investigation.)
  • The fallen tree was obstructive, blocking the entire road. (The tree physically prevented movement along the road.)
  • She was accused of being obstructive for refusing to provide the necessary documents. (She was seen as deliberately causing delay by not cooperating.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be obstructive": This phrase is commonly used to describe uncooperative behavior, especially in formal, legal, or bureaucratic contexts.
  • The witness was warned not to be obstructive during the court proceedings.
• Medical Context: Used to describe a condition that blocks a bodily passage.
  • He was diagnosed with an obstructive lung disease. (A disease that blocks the airways.)

Variants and Related Words

• Obstruct (verb): To block or get in the way of.
  • Please do not obstruct the emergency exit.
• Obstruction (noun): The act of obstructing or the state of being obstructed; something that obstructs.
  • The protest caused an obstruction of traffic.
• Obstructionist (noun): A person who deliberately obstructs business, especially in a legislative body.
  • The senator was labeled an obstructionist for filibustering the bill.

Synonyms

• Hindering: Creating difficulties or delays.
• Impeditive: Serving to impede.
• Blocking: Physically stopping movement or progress.
• Stalling: Causing intentional delay.

Antonyms

• Helpful: Providing assistance.
• Facilitative: Making an action or process easier.
• Cooperative: Working together willingly.
• Conducive: Making a certain outcome likely or possible.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "Throw a spanner in the works" (Idiom): To deliberately cause problems and prevent something from happening smoothly. This is a figurative synonym for being obstructive.
  • By leaking the report early, he really threw a spanner in the works for the official announcement.
• "Stand in the way of" (Phrase): To prevent something from happening.
  • We cannot let bureaucracy stand in the way of progress.

Adjective

1. preventing movement
   • the clogging crowds of revelers overflowing into the street