Words / C2

STYM-ee/ˈstaɪmi/

To stymie is to prevent progress; to block a plan: stymied by missing data, stymie the reform. Block is everyday; thwart and foil are close; hamper is milder. Informal-to-neutral, originally from golf. In speech, block or stop in its tracks is enough. Stymie is an obstacle, often unexpected. Do not use it for a refusal you simply dislike — the word is the blockage of progress, not mere disagreement.

Meaning

To prevent progress; to block a plan.

Examples

• “Missing data stymied the analysis.”
• “Missing data stymied the analysis until the archive reopened.”
• “A single missing signature stymied the trip; the coach sat in the car park.”

Good to know

Block / thwart progress. Everyday: block. Close: thwart. Milder: hamper. An obstacle to getting on, not a difference of opinion alone.

Near in meaning

thwart

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