Definition of block - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
materiallarge solid piece with flat sides
- He placed a block of wood on the table.
2.
urban areaUS area of land surrounded by streetsUS
- They live on the next block.
3.
financial termTECH. large quantity of shares or securitiesTECH.
- The trader bought a block of shares at a low price..
4.
obstructionRare something that prevents passageRare
- There was a block in the pipe.
5.
organizationRare group of related items dealt with as unitRare
- She bought a block of shares.
6.
mental hindranceRare temporary inability to think or rememberRare
- He experienced a block during the exam.
7.
timeRare period of time allocated for a specific activityRare
- We have a two-hour block for the meeting..
8.
sportsRare action to stop movement in sportsRare
- The defender made a crucial block.
9.
architectureRare large building with multiple unitsRare
- They live in a block of flats.
Verb
1.
obstructionobstruct movement or progress
- The fallen tree can block the road for hours..
2.
obstacleprevent from happening or succeeding
- She managed to block all attempts to change the policy..
3.
restrict accessbar access to a service or account
- She blocked him on social media.
4.
sportsimpede an opponent's movement in sports
- The defender blocked the striker's shot.
Images of block

large solid piece with flat sides 
area of land surrounded by streets 
something that prevents passage 
action to stop movement in sports 
large building with multiple units
Expressions with block
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
prevent movement by obstructing
The car was blocked in by a truck.
obstruct a path or area
They block off the street for the parade.
cover something to make it impossible to see
The billboard blocked out the view of the mountains.
to obstruct movement or view by placing obstacles
The boxes block up the hallway, making it hard to pass..
someone who closely resembles one of their parents in traits or behavior
He is a chip off the old block, just like his father.
wooden slab used for cutting food
She placed the vegetables on the chopping block.
gained a lot of practical experience in life or some activity
She has been around the block and knows how this business works.
inability to continue a train of thought
A mental block stopped her mid-sentence.
available to be bought or sold
The house is on the block.
stop something from happening or continuing
The manager put a block on further spending.
temporary inability to write due to lack of inspiration
She couldn't finish her novel due to writer's block.
hindrance preventing progress or success
Fear of failure was a stumbling block for her.
temporary inability to create new ideas or work
She struggled with creative block for weeks.
hit someone's head hard causing them to fall
He threatened to knock his block off if he didn't stop.
at risk of being eliminated or terminated
The project is on the chopping block due to budget cuts.
toy block for children to build structures
Children love playing with building blocks.
small cube with letters for children to play and learn
She stacked the alphabet block to spell her name.
large building with many separate apartments for people to live in
They live in an apartment block downtown.
large piece of material or substance
He carved a statue from a big block of marble.
separate, easy-to-read characters, often uppercase, used for emphasis or clarity
Please fill out the form in block letters so we can read it.
building with multiple apartments for residents
They live in a block of flats in London.
stand in the way so someone cannot go forward
The protester tried to block her path as she entered the courthouse.
stand in front of someone so they cannot pass
The fallen tree blocked his way to school.
rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets
They walked around the city block to explore the neighborhood.
Origin of block
Dutch, blok (log)
Terms with block included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
building block
rectangular block used for building
literal
pinch nostrils to block a smell
home
movable covering for a window to block light
sound
block sound from entering ears
solid form
block or slab of a substance
blockage
block or congest, preventing movement
block access
prevent access or passage
chocolate food
solid block of chocolate made for eating or selling
security
obstacle or barrier used to block passage
shape
having the form of a rectangular block
literal
block light to create a shadow
blocking action
block or obstruct movement
blockage
block or obstruct a passage or channel
access
block access to an area or place
home
shut a window to block air or noise
home
close curtains to block or reduce light
sleep
soft covering for eyes to block light
fire starting
small block used to start fires
trail ration
sweet block of dried fruit, handy for fast nutrition
physical movement
physically block someone's path
block
prevent the door from closing
frozen treat
block of ice cream on a stick
cooling drinks
small block of frozen water used to cool drinks
freezer block
plastic sac cooled in freezer for coolers
Examples of block in a sentence
They used a block of ice for the sculpture. The parade marched around the city block. A new cafe opened on the corner block. He sold a block of bonds to the investor. They acquired a block of stocks from the market. The fallen tree acted as a block on the road.
A block in communication caused the misunderstanding. The company formed a block to tackle the project. He managed a block of tasks efficiently. She had a block while trying to solve the puzzle. Writers often face a block during creative work. She reserved a block in her calendar for exercise. The teacher scheduled a block for reading every morning. He executed a perfect block during the game. Her block prevented the opponent from scoring. The new office block is under construction. They bought a block with several apartments. A parked car can block the driveway. Heavy traffic might block the entrance. They tried to block the new regulations from being implemented. He used his influence to block the merger. The website blocked access to unverified users. He blocked the spam emails from reaching his inbox. He blocked the opponent's path with ease. The player blocked the ball from going in.
View all translations of block
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:bloc, bloquer, ...
- German:Block, blockieren, ...
- Italian:blocco, bloccare, ...
- Spanish:bloque, bloquear, ...
- Portuguese:bloco, bloquear, ...
- Chinese:块, 阻挡, ...
- Japanese:塊, 妨げる, ...
- Arabic:كُتْلَة, أَعَاقَ, ...
- Hebrew:גּוּשׁ, לַחְסוֹם, ...
- Russian:блок, преграждать, ...
- Ukrainian:блок, блокувати, ...
- Hindi:ठोस खंड, रोकना, ...

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the