MEANING
To obstruct or hinder progress, movement, or action without necessarily stopping it.
Use it for
Describe something that slows progress without ending it.Add friction or obstruction to movement, plans, or effort.
Words that belong together
- hamper progress
- hamper movement
- hamper efforts
On the page
The wet wool coat hampered her climb through the narrow vent.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- hamper
- Past tense
- hampered
- Past participle
- hampered
- Present participle
- hampering
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- hamper
- Present continuous
- am/is/are hampering
- Present perfect
- have/has hampered
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been hampering
- Past
- hampered
- Past continuous
- was/were hampering
- Past perfect
- had hampered
- Past perfect continuous
- had been hampering
- Future
- will hamper
- Future continuous
- will be hampering
- Future perfect
- will have hampered
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been hampering
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Hamper suggests burdensome interference rather than complete prevention; the noun also means a large basket.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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