hamper the effort

USAGE SUMMARY

"hamper the effort" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means to hinder or impede the progress or success of an effort. It is often used when discussing obstacles or challenges that may arise during a project or task. Example: The heavy rain and strong winds constantly hampered the team's effort to set up the outdoor event. In this example, the phrase is used to describe how the bad weather made it difficult for the team to complete their task successfully.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

A shortage of tow trucks continued to hamper the effort, the mayor said.

The New York Times

While Trump can certainly hamper the effort to avoid dangerous climate change, there will be limits to his reach.

The Guardian

Indeed, one thing those who are involved in the reconstruction say they are sure of is that continuing violence in Iraq will not ultimately hamper the effort.

The New York Times

"Actually these foreigners hamper the effort.

BBC

Millennium Development Goal 1 aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in the world by 2015, but with a little more than 5 years to go there is a great concern that the global economic crisis will hamper the effort and affect the most vulnerable people in the developing countries, including the Pacific.

Unicef

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Britons are increasingly under-reporting their daily calorie consumption according to a new study, which could hamper the efforts of health experts to cut rising obesity levels.

The Guardian

The Coast Guard has warned that bad weather may hamper the efforts of crews to skim oil from the surface or burn it off at least over the weekend.

The New York Times

Some university officials worry that involving a university from outside the city would hamper the efforts of hometown institutions to recruit faculty members.

The New York Times

Strong winds and temperatures reaching 97 degrees Fahrenheit are expected to hamper the efforts of the more than 1,600 firefighters battling the blaze, a sheriff's department spokesman said.

Huffington Post

Continued environmental pressures, increased global consumption, and the use of crops such as corn and soybean for alternative fuels will continue to hamper the efforts of food suppliers.

Globalization and Health

China and India are also "hampering the effort to ratchet up sanctions on Iran," the editorial says.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "hamper the effort", ensure you clearly identify what specific factors are causing the hindrance and how they are affecting the desired outcome. Specificity strengthens your argument.

Common error

Avoid using "hamper the effort" as a generic statement without detailing the specific actions or conditions that are causing the hindrance. Provide concrete examples for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hamper the effort" functions as a verb phrase expressing the action of hindering or impeding progress. As Ludwig AI points out, it's a correct and usable phrase, typically describing obstacles or challenges to achieving a goal.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hamper the effort" is a grammatically sound and usable expression, as Ludwig AI confirms. Meaning to impede or hinder progress, it is commonly found in news, formal business settings, and scientific contexts. While it is not the most frequent expression, the examples from sources like The New York Times and The Guardian demonstrate its proper usage in formal and professional communication. When employing this phrase, be sure to specify what's causing the hindrance to make your writing more impactful. Alternatives like "impede the endeavor" or "hinder the progress" can add variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impede the endeavor

Replaces "hamper" with "impede" and "effort" with "endeavor", maintaining a formal tone but with slightly stronger emphasis on obstruction. These words are almost perfectly interchangeable with the original query.

hinder the progress

Substitutes "hamper" with "hinder" and "effort" with "progress", focusing on slowing down advancement rather than completely stopping it. The semantic meaning remains close.

obstruct the undertaking

Replaces "hamper" with "obstruct" and "effort" with "undertaking", suggesting a more forceful blockage of the task at hand. Semantic score is high due to small change in meaning.

stall the initiative

Changes "hamper" to "stall" and "effort" to "initiative", indicating a temporary stop or delay to a project's beginning. More informal and specific.

sabotage the project

Replaces "hamper" with "sabotage" and "effort" with "project", implying a deliberate act to undermine or ruin the activity. This is a semantic transformation with respect to the original.

derail the mission

Changes "hamper" to "derail" and "effort" to "mission", suggesting a forceful change of course from the intended path. Stronger connotation than the original.

undermine the attempt

Replaces "hamper" with "undermine" and "effort" with "attempt", focusing on weakening the foundation or chances of success. A bit more subtle.

cripple the operation

Substitutes "hamper" with "cripple" and "effort" with "operation", indicating a severe disabling or weakening of the activity. More drastic and impactful.

stymie the work

Replaces "hamper" with "stymie" and "effort" with "work", suggesting an impediment that causes confusion or feeling of being stuck. Less common vocabulary.

foil the scheme

Changes "hamper" to "foil" and "effort" to "scheme", implying the prevention of a secret or underhanded plan. Significant change in connotation.

FAQs

What does "hamper the effort" mean?

The phrase "hamper the effort" means to hinder or impede progress on a task or project. It suggests that something is making it more difficult to achieve the desired outcome.

What can I say instead of "hamper the effort"?

You can use alternatives such as "impede the endeavor", "hinder the progress", or "obstruct the undertaking" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "hampered the effort"?

Yes, "hampered the effort" is the past tense form and is grammatically correct. For example, "The storm hampered the rescue effort".

What's the difference between "hamper the effort" and "derail the mission"?

"Hamper the effort" implies a slowing down or obstruction, while "derail the mission" suggests a more significant and abrupt change of course or failure.