hurdle
gb/hˈɚdəl/ us/hˈɚdəl/
B1
English
~ 9100
akadály, gátfutás, gát, átugrik, leküzd, fonott kerítéselem
NOUN
B2
1
akadály
A2
Usage pattern:
to face/overcome [a hurdle] to [do something]
The biggest hurdle to starting my own business is the cost.
A saját vállalkozásom elindításában a költségek jelentik a legnagyobb akadályt.
Language was a major hurdle during his first year abroad.
A nyelv komoly akadályt jelentett az első külföldön töltött évében.
Once we clear this last legal hurdle, construction can begin.
Finding childcare is often a significant hurdle for working parents.
Learner examples
Money is a big hurdle for many students.
A pénz sok diák számára nagy akadályt jelent.
I had to overcome many hurdles to get this job.
Sok akadályt kellett leküzdenem, hogy megkapjam ezt az állást.
The test was a hurdle I needed to pass.
Fear was the main hurdle for her.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'hurdle' is only used for sports. In everyday English, it is very common as a metaphor for any kind of problem (for example, 'a legal hurdle', 'a language hurdle'). It is also countable, so you say 'a hurdle', 'many hurdles', not just 'hurdle'.
Meaning
difficulty that must be overcome
Collocations
overcome a hurdle
|face a hurdle
|major hurdle
|legal hurdle
|first hurdle
|significant hurdle
Synonyms
obstacle (Very close in meaning; slightly more general and more common in both formal and informal use.)
|
barrier (Emphasizes something that blocks progress; can sound a bit more formal or technical in some contexts.)
Antonyms
advantage (An advantage helps progress, while a hurdle makes progress more difficult.)
Themes
work
|goals
|problem-solving
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A problem or difficulty you must solve before you can do what you want.
A problem, difficulty, or limiting factor that must be dealt with before something can be achieved.
NOUN
B1
2
gátfutás
B1
Usage pattern:
to run [the hurdles]
She won gold in the 100-meter hurdles.
Aranyérmet nyert a 100 méteres gátfutásban.
He switched from the hurdles to the long jump last year.
Tavaly gátfutásról távolugrásra váltott.
The school is looking for a new coach for the hurdles.
Learner examples
She runs the 400-meter hurdles.
400 méteres gátfutásban indul.
I want to try the hurdles next season.
Jövő szezonban szeretném kipróbálni a gátfutást.
He trains every day for the hurdles.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'He runs in the hurdle' for the event. For the race, English speakers normally say 'the hurdles' in the plural, as in 'She runs the hurdles' or 'He competes in the 110-meter hurdles'.
Meaning
race where runners jump hurdles
Collocations
run the hurdles
|110-meter hurdles
|400-meter hurdles
|train for the hurdles
|women's hurdles
Synonyms
hurdles race (More explicit phrase for the same event; used less often in everyday speech than simply 'the hurdles'.)
Antonyms
sprint (A sprint is a short running race with no barriers, contrasting with the hurdles race which has obstacles.)
Themes
sports
|health
Definition
A running race where people must jump over many low gates, usually called 'the hurdles'.
A race in which runners have to jump over a line of barriers at set distances along the track, usually referred to in the plural as 'the hurdles'.
NOUN
B1
3
gát
B1
Usage pattern:
to knock over/clear [a hurdle]
The runner hit the third hurdle and fell.
A futó nekiment a harmadik gátnak, és elesett.
Officials are setting up the hurdles on the track.
A versenybírók felállítják a gátakat a pályán.
Each lane has ten hurdles spaced evenly apart.
She cleared every hurdle without slowing down.
Learner examples
The runner jumps over the hurdle.
A futó átugorja a gátat.
They put the hurdles on the track.
Felállítják a gátakat a pályán.
He knocked down a hurdle in the race.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the race itself. The race is 'the hurdles' (event), while each object on the track is 'a hurdle'.
Meaning
barrier that runners jump over
Collocations
clear a hurdle
|knock over a hurdle
|set up the hurdles
|clip a hurdle
Synonyms
barrier (A general word for something that blocks the way; 'hurdle' is the specific type used in races.)
Antonyms
opening (An opening allows free movement, while a hurdle physically blocks the way and must be jumped.)
Themes
sports
|health
Definition
A low, light gate on a track that runners must jump over in a race.
A light, movable frame or barrier on a running track that athletes have to jump over during a hurdles race.
VERB
B2
4
átugrik
A2
Usage pattern:
to hurdle [a barrier/fence/hurdle]
The horse hurdled the fence with ease.
A ló könnyedén átugrotta a kerítést.
They hurdled the low wall and ran into the field.
Átugrották az alacsony falat, és berohantak a mezőre.
She hurdled the barrier and crossed the finish line first.
Learner examples
The dog hurdled the small fence.
A kutya átugrotta a kis kerítést.
He hurdled a box on the ground.
Átugrotta a földön lévő dobozt.
The boy hurdled the gate and ran home.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'hurdle over the fence'. Native speakers more often say 'hurdle the fence' because the idea of 'over' is already inside the verb, though 'hurdle over' is not wrong.
Meaning
jump over something while moving
Collocations
hurdle a fence
|hurdle a barrier
|hurdle the last hurdle
|hurdle the wall
Synonyms
leap over (Very close in meaning; slightly more informal and vivid, and not especially linked to sports.)
Antonyms
crash into (To crash into something is to hit it instead of successfully jumping over it.)
Themes
sports
|movement
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To jump over something while you are running or moving.
To jump over something, especially while running or moving quickly.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
5
leküzd
B1
Usage pattern:
to hurdle [a problem / an obstacle]
The company hurdled several financial problems last year.
A vállalat tavaly több pénzügyi problémát is leküzdött.
We still have to hurdle a few legal issues before the deal is final.
Még le kell küzdenünk néhány jogi akadályt, mielőtt véglegessé válik az üzlet.
With the new software, we can finally hurdle these security challenges.
Learner examples
The team hurdled many problems to win.
A csapat sok problémát leküzdött, hogy győzni tudjon.
She hurdled every difficulty and finished school.
Minden nehézséget leküzdött, és befejezte az iskolát.
We must hurdle this problem before we move on.
Common mistake:
This use of 'hurdle' as a verb is less common than 'overcome', especially in speech. Learners may overuse it. In most contexts, 'overcome a problem' or 'get over a problem' sounds more natural.
Meaning
overcome a difficulty or obstacle
Collocations
hurdle a problem
|hurdle an obstacle
|hurdle legal barriers
Synonyms
overcome (The most common verb for dealing successfully with problems; 'hurdle' sounds more figurative and less frequent.)
Antonyms
be defeated by (If you are defeated by a problem, you fail to solve it, which is the opposite of hurdling it.)
Themes
business
|goals
|problem-solving
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To overcome a problem that is stopping you from making progress.
To successfully deal with and move past a difficulty or obstacle.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
6
Usage pattern:
to build/use [a hurdle] for [animals/crops]
Farmers once used wicker hurdles to pen their sheep.
A gazdák régen vesszőből font kerítéselemekkel tartották karámban a juhaikat.
The garden was divided by low wooden hurdles.
A kertet alacsony, fából készült kerítéselemek osztották részekre.
They stacked the drying grain on hurdles in the barn.
Learner examples
Old farmers used hurdles to keep animals in.
Régen a gazdák fonott kerítéselemekkel tartották bent az állatokat.
The field was closed by small wooden hurdles.
A mezőt kis fa kerítéselemek zárták le.
They built a hurdle from branches.
Meaning
portable fence made of woven branches
Collocations
wicker hurdle
|wooden hurdle
|sheep hurdle
Synonyms
fence panel (A more general, modern term; does not suggest the traditional woven style of a hurdle.)
Antonyms
gateway (A gateway allows entry and exit, while a hurdle blocks or encloses an area.)
Themes
agriculture
|history
|animals
|daily_life
Definition
An old type of light fence, made from branches woven together, used on farms.
A portable panel of interwoven branches or wood used traditionally as a fence, pen, or support for drying crops or other materials.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hurdle
IPA
GB/hˈɚdəl/
US/hˈɚdəl/
Syllables & stress
hurdle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hurdle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hurdle
- Plural: hurdles
Verb
- Base: hurdle
- 3rd Person Singular: hurdles
- Present Participle: hurdling
- Past: hurdled
Word family
Forms
hurdles
noun
hurdling
verb
hurdled
verb
Core family
hurdler
noun
Expressions
clear a hurdle
1/klˈɪɹ ə hˈɚdəl/
fixed phrase
successfully pass a hurdle or difficulty
To jump over a hurdle in a race without touching it, or to successfully deal with a problem that stops progress.
Examples
- She cleared every hurdle and finished first.
- We've cleared the last regulatory hurdle, so the product can launch next month.
- Once we clear this technical hurdle, development should speed up.
get over a hurdle
1/ɡˈɛt ˈoʊvɚ ə hˈɚdəl/
fixed phrase
successfully deal with a problem
To solve or move past a problem so that you can continue with what you want to do.
Examples
- Once we got over that first hurdle, the rest of the project went smoothly.
- She's trying to get over the last hurdle before she can graduate.
- Finding a good supplier was the main hurdle we had to get over.
over the first hurdle
1/ˈoʊvɚ ðə fˈɚst hˈɚdəl/
idiom
past the first difficulty
To have finished the first difficult part of something so that you can continue.
Examples
- Now that we've signed the contract, we're over the first hurdle.
- Getting the funding approved means we are finally over the first hurdle.
- Once you're over the first hurdle, the rest of the process is much easier.