Home › Words › O › obstaculateobstaculate/əbˈstækjʊˌleɪ̯t/obstaculate means to act as an obstacle to; to impede, obstruct.obstaculate is pronounced /əbˈstækjʊˌleɪ̯t/.EtymologyBorrowed from Italian ostacolare, as if from a Latin *obstāculātus. Equivalent to obstacle + -ate.verbTo act as an obstacle to; to impede, obstruct.e.g.“I have a mission to accomplish, and you will not obstaculate me.” — 2019, Alex Grossi, chapter 2, in Shadows, UK: AuthorHouse, →ISBN:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).