blockade
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Inhibition of the activity of chemical messengers or their receptors, such as receptor antagonism.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
blahkaydSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
blɑˈkeɪd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.
by extension
Any form of formal isolation or inhibition of something, especially with the force of law or arms.
nautical
The ships or other forces used to effect a naval blockade.
verb
Impose a blockade on
transitive
To create a blockade against.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.
Used this way, blockade is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in business or professional contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Business/professional
Nearby words
- block , a specialist term, precise but narrower
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: impose a blockade on
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “blockade” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.