MEANING
To slow or obstruct movement, development, or the completion of an activity.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- impede progress
- impede access
On the page
Missing records impeded the investigation.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- impede
- Past tense
- impeded
- Past participle
- impeded
- Present participle
- impeding
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- impede
- Present continuous
- am/is/are impeding
- Present perfect
- have/has impeded
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been impeding
- Past
- impeded
- Past continuous
- was/were impeding
- Past perfect
- had impeded
- Past perfect continuous
- had been impeding
- Future
- will impede
- Future continuous
- will be impeding
- Future perfect
- will have impeded
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been impeding
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: impede; impedes; impeded; impeded; impeding Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: change, causation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: impedes.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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