thwart

CEFRC1

/θwɔːt/

verb · adjective · adverb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To prevent someone from achieving a plan or goal.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    Of people: having a tendency to oppose; obstinate, perverse, stubborn.

Examples

  • A moat was dug around the castle to thwart attackers.

  • Tom tried to thwart her plans.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
3
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meaning
  1. Of situations or things: adverse, unfavourable, unlucky.

adjective

Extra meaning
  1. Placed or situated across something else; cross, oblique, transverse.

adverb

Extra meaning
  1. Across the direction of travel or length of; athwart, crosswise, obliquely, transversely.

More examples

In context
  • Tom tried to thwart Mary's plans.

  • Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the thunderstorm.

  • An arrow thwarts the air.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The security guards tried to blank the thief from escaping through the back door.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English thwerte, from the adjective thwert (“obstinate, perverse”), from Old Norse þvert, neuter of þverr (“transverse”). Cognates The English adjective is cognate with Danish tvær (“sullen, sulky”), Gothic 𐌸𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐍃 (þwairhs, “angry”), Middle Dutch dwers, dwars (modern Dutch dwars (“crosswise, transverse; slantwise, askew; stubbornly disobedient”)), Norwegian tvert, tvært, Old Frisian þweres, dwers (Saterland Frisian twars, West Frisian dwers, dwerz (“across, to the other side of; beyond”)), Middle Low German dwers, dwars (Low German dwars (“contrary; cross-grained”)), Old English þweorh (“transverse; perverse; angry, cross”), Old High German twer (Middle High German twer,...