This is the 15431st most frequent Russian word.
преградой
"Преградой" means "obstacle" or "barrier" in English.
Here, "преградой" refers to a physical obstacle that hinders or blocks progress.
Река служила преградой для путешественников, пытающихся перейти её.
The river served as an obstacle for travelers trying to cross it.
In this example, "преградой" is used metaphorically to indicate difficulties or challenges that hinder achieving goals.
Проблемы стали преградой на пути к успеху.
The problems became an obstacle on the path to success.
Here, "преградой" is used symbolically to represent something that blocks or prevents the emergence or influence of doubts.