hurdle

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈhɜrdəl/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A light portable frame covered with wicker, brush, or similar material, formerly used as a fence, gate, or pen for animals.; An obstacle or difficulty that must be overcome or dealt with.; One of a series of lightweight barriers placed at intervals on a track, over which runners must jump in a hurdle race.; A race in which competitors must jump over a series of hurdles; a hurdle race.; A frame of interwoven sticks or twigs used historically as a sledge on which criminals were dragged to execution.
  2. verb
    To jump over or clear a hurdle or obstacle, especially in a race.; To overcome or deal with a difficulty or problem successfully.; To enclose or fence with hurdles.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: hurdles 3rd sing.: hurdles Past: hurdled Past part.: hurdled Pres part.: hurdling

Collocations

clear a hurdlejump over a hurdleovercome a hurdlehurdle racefinal hurdlehurdle event

Derivatives

hurdlerhurdling

Synonyms

obstaclebarrierimpedimentobstructionchallengedifficulty

Antonyms

advantageaidhelp

Commonly confused

hurtle
EN: 'Hurtle' means to move at great speed or force; 'hurdle' is an obstacle or the act of jumping over one.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'hurdle' (an obstacle; to jump over) with 'hurtle' (to rush or move rapidly). They differ by only one letter but have very different meanings.

💬 Examples

  1. The farmer used hurdles to enclose the sheep in the field.

  2. Getting a visa was the biggest hurdle in her plan to study abroad.

  3. She knocked over the third hurdle but managed to finish the race.

  4. He won the 110-meter hurdles at the national championships.

  5. In medieval England, traitors were drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution.

  6. The athlete hurdled the barrier with perfect form.

  7. The company managed to hurdle the financial crisis and emerge stronger.

  8. They hurdled the garden to keep the rabbits out.