hobble
B2Neutral; used in both formal and informal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To walk with difficulty, typically because of injury or physical restraint, taking unsteady, jerky steps.
To restrict, impede, or limit the progress or freedom of someone or something; to hamper.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb typically implies an awkward, unbalanced, and slow manner of walking due to a physical cause (e.g., injury, tied legs). Its metaphorical use for hindering progress is common. The noun form refers to a limping gait or a device used to limit an animal's movement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Both varieties use the word similarly.
Connotations
Equally neutral in both dialects.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in written texts than in casual speech in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] hobbles (adverb/prepositional phrase).[Subject] hobbles [Object] (e.g., a horse).[Subject] hobbles [Object] (e.g., progress/efforts).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hobble together (to assemble or join clumsily or temporarily)”
- “get/put a hobble on (to restrain or control)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The new regulations could hobble the company's expansion plans.
Academic
The researcher argued that methodological flaws hobbled the earlier study's conclusions.
Everyday
I had to hobble to the kitchen after I twisted my ankle.
Technical
The farrier applied a hobble to the horse's forelegs for the procedure.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- After the marathon, she could only hobble to the physio.
- The strict rules hobble innovation in the sector.
American English
- He hobbled into the drugstore to get a knee brace.
- High inflation is hobbling the economic recovery.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The old man hobbles with a walking stick.
- My dog hobbled after hurting its paw.
- She twisted her ankle and had to hobble back to the car.
- Lack of funding is hobbling the community project.
- The injured player managed to hobble off the pitch unaided.
- Bureaucratic red tape continues to hobble the development of new infrastructure.
- Despite being hobbled by internal dissent, the coalition government passed the controversial bill.
- The company's global ambitions were hobbled by unforeseen trade tariffs.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a HOBBIT with a sore foot who has to HOBBLE around the Shire.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIFFICULTY/FAILURE IS IMPEDED MOVEMENT (e.g., 'hobbled by debt', 'hobbled by self-doubt').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not equivalent to 'хромать' in its metaphorical sense; 'хромать' is almost exclusively literal for walking. Use 'затруднять', 'сковывать', 'мешать' for metaphorical 'hobble'.
- The noun 'hobble' (a device) does not have a direct one-word equivalent; use 'путы' or 'смирительная веревка'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'hobble' to mean a fast, erratic movement (like 'dart').
- Confusing with 'wobble' (to move unsteadily from side to side).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'hobble' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Limp' is more common and specifically implies favoring one leg. 'Hobble' suggests a more general, awkward, and often more severely impaired gait, which can involve both legs, and carries stronger connotations of being shackled or bound.
Yes. As a noun, it primarily means: 1) an awkward, limping walk, or 2) a rope, strap, or device used to tether the legs of a horse or other animal to restrict its movement.
It is neutral in register. It is appropriate in both formal writing (e.g., academic, business) and informal conversation, though slightly more literary in its metaphorical sense.
'Hobble along' is a very common collocation. Others include 'hobble to' (a place), 'hobble into' (a room), and 'hobble on' (a specific leg or aid).