stumbling block

See also: stumblingblock and stumbling-block

English

Alternative forms

• stumbling-block
• stumbling blocke (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Etymology

Probably originally from Romans 14:13 or 1 Corinthians 8:9 in the King James Version of the Bible, translating Koine Greek πρόσκομμα (próskomma):

• 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 14:13:

  Let vs not therefore iudge one another any more: but iudge this rather, that no man put a stumbling blocke, or an occasion to fall in his brothers way.

• 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 8:9:

  But take heed lest by any meanes, this libertie of yours become a stumbling blocke to them that are weake.

Noun

stumbling block (plural stumbling blocks)

1. (idiomatic) A hindrance, obstacle or impediment.

   Idioms are a common stumbling block for learners of a language.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:hindrance

Translations

hindrance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 障礙物／障碍物 (zh) (zhàng'àiwù), 障碍物 (zh) (zhàng'àiwù), 絆腳石／绊脚石 (zh) (bànjiǎoshí), 绊脚石 (zh) (bànjiǎoshí)

• Finnish: kompastuskivi
• French: pierre d’achoppement (fr) f, écueil (fr) m
• German: Stolperstein (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌿𐌲𐌵 n (bistugq)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: scoglio (it) m
• Japanese: つまずきの石 (つまずきのいし, tsumazuki no ishi), 妨げ (さまたげ, samatage)
• Kikuyu: mũhĩnga class 3
• Russian: ка́мень преткнове́ния (ru) m (kámenʹ pretknovénija)
• Spanish: escollo (es) m, obstáculo (es), atascadero m
• Swedish: stötesten (sv) c