ostacolati

Ostacolati is an Italian term used as both an adjective and the past participle of the transitive verb ostacolare, meaning to hinder or obstruct. It describes people, objects, or processes that have been impeded, blocked, or slowed by obstacles, delays, or impediments. The sense is both literal and figurative and is common in journalism, politics, and everyday language.

Etymology stems from the noun ostacolo, meaning obstacle, which in turn comes from Latin obstaculum. The related verb ostacolare was formed from this root, yielding the participle ostacolato and its plural forms ostacolati (masc. pl.) and ostacolate (fem. pl.).

In usage, ostacolati functions as an adjective and thus agrees with the noun it modifies: ostacolato, ostacolata, ostacolati, ostacolate. It is frequently used with essere to describe a state or condition, for example: i progetti sono ostacolati dalla burocrazia (the projects are hindered by bureaucracy) or una strada ostacolata dai lavori (a road blocked by works). It can also appear in expressions like ostacolare progressi or essere ostacolati da circostanze avverse.

In grammar notes, ostacolare is a transitive verb, and ostacolato as a participle may be used in compound tenses with avere; the participle generally agrees in gender and number with a preceding direct object when required by the sentence structure.

See also ostacolo, ostacolare, and related terms for discussions of hindrance and obstruction.