noun
stymie
Stymie (noun) means the situation, on the putting green, in which an opponent's ball lies directly between one's ball and the hole (a rule abolished in 1952).
noun
1
The situation, on the putting green, in which an opponent's ball lies directly between one's ball and the hole (a rule abolished in 1952).
2
A hindrance or barrier.
"Mary, will you be mine? Shall we go round together? Will you fix up a match with me on the links of life which shall end only when the Grim Reaper lays us both a stymie?"
— P. G. Wodehouse, The Clicking of Cuthbert (1922)
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Etymology
From the meaning in golf (where the stymie ball blocks the other ball from "seeing" the hole), perhaps from Scots stymie, stimie (“person with poor eyesight”), from Scots stime (“the least bit”). Or from Scots styme (“tiny bit, glimmer”) as in se nocht ane styme (“not to see a glimmer (of something)”). If so, it is a doublet of stime.
Synonyms
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stymy
Related words
Rhymes for stymie
See all rhymes for stymie →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of stymie?
"stymie" (noun) means the situation, on the putting green, in which an opponent's ball lies directly between one's ball and the hole (a rule abolished in 1952).
What is another word for stymie?
Other words for "stymie" include stymy.
What are the different meanings of stymie?
"stymie" has 2 main meanings: 1. The situation, on the putting green, in which an opponent's ball lies directly between one's ball and the hole (a rule abolished in 1952); 2. A hindrance or barrier.
