thwarted

Thwarted is the past tense and past participle of the verb thwart. It describes something that has been prevented, blocked, or frustrated from succeeding. A thwarted plan or attempt has been hindered by interference, opposition, or unforeseen obstacles. The word is used for people, organizations, projects, and schemes, and it often implies an external force or deliberate action that stopped progress. In everyday usage, a thwarted effort conveys a concrete failure rather than mere disappointment.

In nautical usage, a thwart is a crosswise seat in a boat; as a verb, thwarting can suggest blocking a course or direction, though in general writing the term preserves its broader sense of obstruction. Thwarted can be substituted with prevent, obstruct, impede, foil, or frustrate, depending on nuance. It frequently appears in discussions of security, strategy, or storytelling to indicate that opposition or circumstance defeated planned aims.

Etymology traces thwart to older English roots associated with crossing or opposing; over time, the sense broadened from physical obstruction to more abstract forms of interference. See also: foil, prevent, obstruct, frustrate, impede, counteract, stymie.