Meaning

5 senses

  1. To fetter by tying the legs; to restrict (a horse) with hobbles.

    Near-synonyms: shackle, enshackle

    трено́житьtrenóžitʹ

    спутуватиsputuvaty, триножитиtrynožyty

  2. To walk lame, or unevenly.

    ковыля́тьkovyljátʹ, хрома́тьxromátʹ

    кульгатиkulʹhaty, шкандиба́тиškandybáty, шкутильгатиškutylʹhaty

  3. (figuratively)To move or proceed roughly or irregularly.

  4. To disable; to impede.

    Near-synonyms: nobble, hamper, hinder, embarrass

  5. (UK, obsolete, slang, transitive)To commit (a person) for trial.

More definitions
  • hamper the action or progress of
  • strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison
  • walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

Examples

9 sentences

  1. We had the horses hobbled and belled.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · remline · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. Boris quickly hobbled out of the water.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Amastan · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I can't walk, but I can definitely hobble.

    ruЯ не могу ходить, но хромать я точно могу.

    deIch kann nicht gehen, aber ich kann auf jeden Fall humpeln.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · FeuDRenais · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Igor hobbled forward as far as he could.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · Amastan · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. This kind of restrictive legislation is bound to hobble the economy.

    CC BY · Tatoeba · PeterR · C2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

6 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
To restrict a horse with hobbles:
To walk unevenly:
Русский
By meaning 2
To restrict a horse with hobbles:
To walk unevenly:

Origin

From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch

From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen), Middle High German hoppeln (“to hop, limp, hobble”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

hobbles, hobbling, hobbled, hobbled
Base formhobble · to hobble
3rd person singularhobbles
Present participlehobbling
Past simplehobbled
Past participlehobbled

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyhobble
he, she, ithobbles

Past simpleLesson

all personshobbled

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave hobbled
he, she, ithas hobbled

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill hobble

Synonyms

11 synonyms
hamperC2hinderC2embarrassB1shackleenshacklehirplenobble
Close in meaning
  • strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison:hopple
  • walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury:limpgimphitch

Word family

12 related words
Relatedhobbler
Derivedchain hobblehobblebushhobble chainhobble knothobbleropehobble skirthobble-skirtedhobblesomehobblinglyhobblyunhobble

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
hoaxhobhobbithobbyA1hobbyisthobo
hobble — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto