obstructive
Getting in way
Obstructive describes something or someone that blocks, hinders, or gets in the way.
An obstructive tumor blocks a passage in the body.
An obstructive colleague impedes progress through resistance or noncooperation.
The word often implies deliberate unhelpfulness: He was being obstructive during the investigation.
In medicine, obstructive conditions involve blockage: obstructive sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Blocking forward motion
- hamperingInterfering with progress
- thwartingObstructing intended outcomes
- inhibitingPreventing or slowing action
- delayingCausing later occurrence
encumbering · stymieing · blocking · retarding · interfering · preventing · constraining · restricting
Delaying tactic through speech
- vetoOfficial refusal to approve
- stonewallingDeliberately refusing to respond
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
gridlock · impasse · opposition · dissent · noncompliance · boycott · protest · resistance
Obstacle blocking a path
- blockadeSealing off a place
- roadblockObstruction across a road
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- damWater-holding barrier
wall · checkpoint · bottleneck · chokepoint · congestion · clog · jam · logjam
Refusing to compromise
- recalcitrantStubbornly resistant to control
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- stubbornRefusing to change course
- defiantOpenly resisting control
contrary · unyielding · noncompliant · unhelpful · unaccommodating · difficult · antagonistic · mulish
Temporary cessation of respiration
- bronchitisInflamed airway disease
- pulmonaryOf the lungs
- respiratoryRelated to breathing organs
- airwayPassage for breath
asthma · emphysema · COPD · stenosis · thrombosis · embolism · stricture · calculus
impeding
Blocking forward motion
- hamperingInterfering with progress
- thwartingObstructing intended outcomes
- inhibitingPreventing or slowing action
delaying · encumbering · stymieing · blocking · retarding · interfering · preventing · constraining · restricting · curbing
filibuster
Delaying tactic through speech
- vetoOfficial refusal to approve
- stonewallingDeliberately refusing to respond
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
deadlock · gridlock · impasse · opposition · dissent · noncompliance · boycott · protest · resistance · blocking
barricade
Obstacle blocking a path
dam · wall · checkpoint · bottleneck · chokepoint · congestion · clog · jam · logjam · gridlock
intransigent
Refusing to compromise
- recalcitrantStubbornly resistant to control
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- stubbornRefusing to change course
defiant · contrary · unyielding · noncompliant · unhelpful · unaccommodating · difficult · antagonistic · mulish · pigheaded
apnea
Temporary cessation of respiration
- bronchitisInflamed airway disease
- pulmonaryOf the lungs
- respiratoryRelated to breathing organs
airway · asthma · emphysema · COPD · stenosis · thrombosis · embolism · stricture · calculus · urinary
- shockanaphylactic shock, hemorrhagic, septic shock, toxic shock, insulin shock
- breathingbreathing, inhalation, breath, exhalation, breathe
- hostile attitudeshostile, aggressive, combative, belligerent, adversarial
- misbehaviormisbehave, misbehavior, mischief, misconduct, naughty
- overwhelmingoverwhelming, overpowering, crushing, engulfing, smothering
obstructivehelpful
Giving useful aid
enabling · conducive · advantageous · constructive · assistive
obstructivecooperative
Jointly operated enterprise
co-operative · collaborative · supportive · accommodating · amenable
obstructivepermissive
Tolerant, lacking strictness
unobstructive · allowing · open · unblocking · accessible
- nasal obstructionBlocked breathing passage
- obstruction of justiceInterfering with legal processes
- intestinal obstructionBlocked digestive passage
- throat obstruction
- traffic obstructionBarrier blocking vehicle passage
- airway obstructionBlocked respiratory passage