WCW Episode 2: Impede

Hi there, it's the second episode of Word Crush Wednesday (WCW) on The Pen of Light blog. And today we're looking into a bisyllabic word of Latin origin, "Impede". This word became popular after being used by Shakespeare in the 1600s, but it might have been in use before then. Let's take a look at his word.

 Impede

Pronunciation

im-ˈpēd

Meaning

Verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to

2. block passage through

Origin

The word "impede" originated from the Latin word impediō which literally translates to "to shackle". This word might have been first used in 1595 or 1624, but one thing that's certain is that the popularity has grown tremendously since its first use.

According to Merriam-Webster, the word was first used in 1595. Meanwhile, Wikipedia claims that the first obvious use was by Williams Shakespeare in his 1624 book titled the Macbeth. The word has since been used to mean obstruction or blockage to something or someone.

Usages

Examples of usage of impede include:

1. The sap causes swelling which can impede breathing.

2. The underbrush will impede the progress of the hunted animal.

3. The tree that fell over the road has started to impede vehicular movements.

4. This will impede learning, essentially causing more problems than solutions.

Thesaurus

Other words that can be used in place of impede include: hinder, obstruct, hamper, handicap, hold back, hold up, delay, interfere with, restrain, shackle, etc.

Homophones

Impede does not have words that has the exact sound as itself.

See You Next Week

I hope you've learnt something in today's episode of Word Crush Wednesday. if so, leave a comment and share what you've learnt.

If you feel you haven't learnt anything in today's episode, that's not a problem. You can also leave a comment on how this section of my blog can be improved, I will appreciate your sincerity. I look forward to seeing you in Next week's episode. Till then, stay giddy. Xoxoxo!