blockade

1 of 2

verb

block·​ade blä-ˈkād 

blockaded; blockading

transitive verb

1

: to subject to a blockade

2

: block, obstruct

blockader noun

blockade

2 of 2

noun

1

: the isolation by a warring nation of an enemy area (such as a harbor) by troops or warships to prevent passage of persons or supplies

broadly : a restrictive measure designed to obstruct the commerce and communications of an unfriendly nation

2

: something that blocks

3

: interruption of normal physiological function (such as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ

also : inhibition of a physiologically active substance (such as a hormone)

Synonyms of blockade

Verb

• guard

Noun

• siege

Examples of blockade in a Sentence

Verb

They blockaded the country's ports.

the militant protestors blockaded the whole area around city hall

Noun

it was the blockade of all the enemy's major ports that finally won the war

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted. —Npr Staff, NPR, 29 Mar. 2026

Tehran has used missiles and cheap drones to effectively blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route through which 20% of the world’s oil passed daily before the war, while attacking Gulf oil and gas facilities. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026

Noun

Eisenstadt says a sea blockade against ships carrying Iranian oil would be a safer strategy and achieve the same goal of controlling most of Iran's oil industry. —ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026

Along with the Strait of Hormuz, currently under a de-facto Iranian blockade, the two narrow waterways are the primary routes used by the Middle East's energy producers to get their products to the vast markets in Asia and beyond. —Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of blockade entry 2

Noun

block entry 2 + -ade, after German (17th century) Blocquade, Bloquade, Bloquada & Dutch (17th century) Blocquade, Bloquade

Note: The German and Dutch words, which are common in accounts of contemporary events in Europe following the siege and sack of Magdeburg in 1631, are of uncertain origin. They appear to have no Romance antecedents. According to R. J. Brunt, The Influence of the French Language on the German Vocabulary: 1649-1735 (De Gruyter, 2013) "…Ger[man] Blockade probably derives from Ital[ian] bloccato, the past part[iciple] of the verb bloccare 'stringere con il blocco, privare di refornimenti" (p. 160). It seems much more likely however, as Brunt suggests in the same paragraph, that the word was formed from German bloquiren (present-day blockieren), attested earlier and probably borrowed from French blocquer (though in this sense the word is attested only slightly earlier). The suffix -ade/-ada is a distinct borrowing from Romance sources. The Dutch word may have been borrowed from German, or independently formed from blockeren "to enclose" (present-day blokkeren "to obstruct"), also borrowed from French.

First Known Use

Verb

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blockade

• blockade-runner
• counter-blockade

Rhymes for blockade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted
• cascade

Kids Definition

blockade

noun

block·​ade

blä-ˈkād

: the cutting off of an area by means of troops or warships to stop the coming in or going out of people or supplies

blockade verb

blockader noun

Medical Definition

blockade

1 of 2 noun

block·​ade blä-ˈkād 

1

a

: interruption of normal physiological function (as transmission of nerve impulses) of a cellular receptor, tissue, or organ

b

: inhibition of a physiologically active substance (as a hormone)

2

: the process of reducing the phagocytic capabilities of the mononuclear phagocyte system by loading it with harmless material (as India ink or lampblack) which engages its cells in phagocytosis and prevents them from reacting to new antigenic material compare blocking antibody

blockade

2 of 2 transitive verb

blockaded; blockading

: to subject to blockade