A stymie sounds something really tiny, but taking into consideration it hinders, stymie can be really big for some people. It is a Noun and a Verb. Its first usage dates back to 1855-60.
Pronunciation: stahy-mee
Meanings of Stymie:
1) An impediment or stumbling block as in a difficulty in form of an irresolvable situation. (Noun)
2) To block/hinder something e.g. growth or fulfilment of a goal due to an obstacle. (Verb)
3) Stymie is also a situation in golf where opponent’s ball hinders the line of play of one’s own ball.
Master’s tip to learn Stymie:
Stymie can be easily learnt with the help of the word tiny, as these two words rhyme. Also, to associate the words further, we can say it was a tiny stymie, but he could not overcome it in anyway.
Sentences examples for Stymie:
1)It was his innate fear of failure that did not let him overcome the stymie. (Noun)
2) The problem in his life stymied his confidence. (Verb)
3) His mental growth was stymied due to an irresolvable situation. (Noun)