Thwart definition

thwôrt
thwarted thwarting thwarts
See word origin
Frequency:
To oppose and defeat the efforts, plans, or ambitions of (someone).
verb
17
1
To prevent the occurrence, realization, or attainment of.

They thwarted her plans.

verb
12
0
Eager to oppose, especially wrongly; perverse.
adjective
9
0
(obs.) Perverse.
adjective
7
0
A rower's seat extending across a boat.
noun
6
0
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A seat across a boat on which a rower may sit.
noun
5
3
Extending, lying, or passing across; transverse.
adjective
2
0
Athwart; across.
preposition
2
0
Lying or extending across something else; transverse; oblique.
adjective
2
0
To prevent; to halt; to cause to fail; to foil; to frustrate.

The police thwarted the would-be assassin.

Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the thunderstorm.

verb
2
0
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The definition of thwart is to hinder or stop something from happening.

An example of thwart is when you catch your kids in the process of sneaking out.

verb
1
0
(nautical) A brace, perpendicular to the keel, that helps maintain the beam (breadth) of a marine vessel against external water pressure and that may serve to support the rail.

A well made doughout canoe rarely needs a thwart.

noun
1
0
(nautical) A seat across a boat on which a rower may sit.

The fisherman sat on the aft thwart to row.

noun
1
0
Situated or placed across something else; transverse; oblique.
adjective
1
0
(figuratively) Perverse; crossgrained.

adjective
1
0
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Obliquely; transversely; athwart.

adverb
1
0
To hinder, obstruct, frustrate, or defeat (a person, plans, etc.)
verb
2
2
(archaic) Athwart.
adverb
1
1
A brace extending across a canoe.
noun
1
1
(obs.) To extend or place over or across.
verb
1
1
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
thwart
Plural:
thwarts

Origin of thwart

  • Middle English thwerten from thwert across from Old Norse thvert neuter of thverr transverse terkw- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old Norse þvert "˜across', originally neut. of thverr (transverse, across), cognates include Old English þweorh (transverse, perverse, angry, cross), Danish tvær, Gothic 𐌸𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍃 (þwaírs, “angry"), Dutch dwars (cross-grained, contrary), German quer, from Proto-Germanic *þwerhaz, altered by influence of Proto-Germanic *þweranÄ… (to turn) from Proto-Germanic *þerh-, from Proto-Indo-European *twork-/*twerk- (twist).

    From Wiktionary

Thwart Sentence Examples

  • No one, said his younger brother Lucien, liked to thwart him.

  • But a conqueror came who had no empresses to thwart him.

  • I would ask that you bestow defenses upon them to thwart his inevitable attack.

  • Police are urging people to check their home security in a bid to thwart would-be thieves.

  • Liverpool rallied briefly and Hastie sent a shot over the bar before keeper Cope made a superb last-ditch tackle to thwart Thomas.

More sentences

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Words near thwart in the Dictionary