thwarten

Etymology

From Middle English thwertenen, equivalent to thwart + -en.

thwarten means to be positioned contrary to; be set against; oppose; hinder. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 80 out of 100.

Why “thwarten” is a great word

THWARTEN — [Verb] To be positioned contrary to; to oppose, hinder, or set against. From Middle English thwertenen, from thwart (meaning "across, transverse, perverse") + the verbal suffix -en. Unlike "frustrate," which centers on defeating plans and causing disappointment, or "hinder," a more general term for delay, to thwarten is to impose a direct, crosswise obstruction. It is the heavy timber braced against a door, the rival’s ship tacking on an intercepting course, or the single, stubborn fact that renders an elegant design impossible—a quiet, structural opposition that defines itself by its very orientation.

verb

To be positioned contrary to; be set against; oppose; hinder“It is e.g. frivolous — and in the longer run thwartens the wishes of the tax stabilizers — if accidental declines in expenditures are without much justification used for new (and more or less permanent) tasks.”