German word

erschweren

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛɐ̯ˈʃveːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbmake more difficult

Example

Die Krankheit erschwert die Kommunikation.

The illness makes communication more difficult.

Illustration for erschweren (make more difficult)

More examples

Bürokratische Hürden erschweren den Zugang zu Fördermitteln.

Bureaucratic hurdles make access to funding more difficult.

Core concept

Extra weight or friction slows a task down and makes it require more effort.

Common phrases

  • die Kommunikation erschweren

    make communication more difficult

  • die Arbeit erschweren

    make work more difficult

  • den Zugang erschweren

    make access more difficult

Similar words

schwieriger machen: Make something harder to do, manage, or achieve.
behindern: Get in the way of progress so that intended results are harder to reach.
komplizieren: Make procedures or relationships more involved and difficult to understand.
beeinträchtigen: Weaken normal performance or reduce the effect something can produce.

Definition in German

Bewirken, dass etwas beim Ausführen mühsamer oder komplizierter wird und mehr Aufwand nötig ist.

Word origin

Erschweren developed from German schwer, 'heavy', with er-, extending the older sense 'make heavy' to 'make difficult'.

Usage tips

  • Erschweren is a transitive verb, so the affected task or situation takes the accusative, as in 'Die Krankheit erschwert die Kommunikation.'

Other meanings

  • hinderverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Erschwerungcomplicationnoun
  • erschwerendcomplicatingadjective

Word lists with this word