hamper
To make it hard for someone to do something.
hamper in a sentence
- The strong wind hampered the climbers, slowing every step up the mountain.
- Thick fog began to hamper the search, making it hard for the lifeboat crew to see anything.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to hamper?
- Aboost
- Bhelp
- Caid
- Dblock
Show the answer
D: block. The other three mean the opposite of hamper.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to hamper?
- Ablock
- Bslow
- Chelp
- Dstop
Show the answer
C: help. The other three mean nearly the same as hamper.
Words that mean something similar
block, slow, stop
Words that mean the opposite
help, aid, boost
More words about movement & action
- hasty: Done too quickly and without thinking.
- hectic: Extremely busy and full of rushing about.
- hinder: To make something harder to do or slow it down.
- hoist: To lift something up, often using ropes or effort.
- hurtle: To move very fast, often without control.
- immobile: Not moving or not able to move.
- intercept: To stop or catch something before it reaches where it is going.
- jaunt: A short trip taken for fun.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test