Comparisons Wiki

Blocked vs. Locked: Difference and Comparison

Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 26, 2023
"Blocked" refers to being obstructed or hindered, while "locked" denotes being fastened or secured, often with a key or mechanism.
Blocked vs. Locked

Difference Between Blocked and Locked

"Blocked" is a term that typically implies an obstruction or hindrance to the normal function or path. It can be used in various contexts, such as in digital communication, traffic scenarios, or even plumbing. For example, an email might be blocked due to its suspicious nature, or a road might be blocked due to construction. In the digital world, especially on social media platforms, being blocked often implies that one user has prevented another from accessing their profile or sending them messages.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
On the other hand, "locked" is more about security and restraint. When something is locked, it means that it's been fastened securely, typically requiring a specific key, code, or mechanism to access or open it. It's a term that often comes up in scenarios involving doors, safes, or even digital files. A locked door prevents unauthorized access, and a locked phone requires a passcode or fingerprint.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023
While both "blocked" and "locked" imply restriction, the nature and purpose of the restriction are what set them apart. A "blocked" path doesn't necessarily mean it's secured against intrusion; it simply means there's an obstruction. Conversely, a "locked" door is specifically designed to prevent unauthorized access, ensuring the security of whatever lies behind it.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023
Another distinguishing factor is the ease with which the restriction can be undone. While "blocked" often implies a temporary hindrance that can be cleared away, "locked" suggests a more deliberate intent to secure something, often needing specific tools or information to undo. For instance, a blocked sink might just need some plunging, but a locked safe would require the correct combination.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked vs. Locked Comparison Chart

Definition

Being obstructed or hindered.
Being fastened or secured, often with a key or mechanism.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Implication

Hindrance or obstruction.
Security or restraint.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Usage Scenarios

Digital communication, traffic, plumbing.
Doors, safes, digital files.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Nature of Restriction

Temporary or situational.
Deliberate and typically more permanent.
Jonathan
Sep 26, 2023

Ease of Removal

Often easier to clear or undo.
Requires specific tools, keys, or information to undo.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked vs. Locked Definitions

Blocked

Filled or closed tightly so that nothing can pass.
The drain was blocked with leaves.
Lucas
Sep 26, 2023

Locked

Held or stuck in a particular position or place.
The wheels were locked, making it impossible to move the vehicle.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

A solid piece of a hard substance, such as wood, having one or more flat sides.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Fastened or secured using a lock.
The door remained locked throughout the night.
Lucas
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Such a piece used as a construction member or as a support.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Unable to be changed or accessed without a specific key or code.
The files were locked to protect sensitive data.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Such a piece upon which chopping or cutting is done
a butcher's block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Engaged or intertwined securely.
Their hands were locked in a firm grip.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Such a piece upon which persons are beheaded.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

A device operated by a key, combination, or keycard and used, as on a door, for holding, closing, or securing.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

One of a set of small wooden or plastic pieces, such as a cube, bar, or cylinder, used as a building toy.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

A section of a waterway, such as a canal, closed off with gates, in which vessels in transit are raised or lowered by raising or lowering the water level of that section.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Printing) A large amount of text.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

A mechanism in a firearm for exploding the charge.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Sports) A starting block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

An interlocking or entanglement of elements or parts.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A stand from which articles are displayed and sold at an auction
Many priceless antiques went on the block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

(Sports) A hold in wrestling or self-defense that is secured on a part of an opponent's body.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A mold or form on which an item is shaped or displayed
a hat block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

A secure hold; control
The distributor has a lock on most of the market.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A substance, such as wood or stone, that has been prepared for engraving.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

A sure thing; a certainty
His promotion is a lock.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A pulley or a system of pulleys set in a casing.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To fasten the lock of
close and lock a drawer.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

An engine block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To shut or make secure with or as if with locks
locked the house.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A bloc.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To confine or exclude by or as if by means of a lock
locked the dog in for the night.
locked the criminal up in a cell.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A set of like items, such as shares of stock, sold or handled as a unit.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To fix in place so that movement or escape is impossible; hold fast
The ship was locked in the ice through the winter. She felt that she had become locked into a binding agreement.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A group of four or more unseparated postage stamps forming a rectangle.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To sight and follow (a moving target) automatically
locked the enemy fighter in the gun sights.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Canadian) A group of townships in an unsurveyed area.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To aim (a weapon or other device) at a moving target so as to follow it automatically
"The pilot had locked his targeting radar on the slow-moving frigate" (Ed Magnuson).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A usually rectangular section of a city or town bounded on each side by consecutive streets.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To clasp or link firmly; intertwine or interlock
locked arms and walked away.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A segment of a street bounded by consecutive cross streets and including its buildings and inhabitants.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To bind in close struggle or battle
The two dogs were locked in combat.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A large building divided into separate units, such as apartments.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To equip (a waterway) with locks.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

A length of railroad track controlled by signals.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To pass (a vessel) through a lock.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

Something that obstructs; an obstacle
The disabled car formed a block in traffic.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To invest (funds) in such a way that they cannot easily be converted into cash.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Sports) An act of bodily obstruction, as of a player or the ball.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To arrange or secure (an interest rate) for a loan.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Football) An act of legally using one's body to obstruct or move a defensive player so that a player in possession of the ball may advance downfield, pass, or otherwise execute an offensive play.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To end the processing of (a magnetic tape or disk) in such a way as to deny access to its contents.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Medicine) Interruption or obstruction of a physiological function
nerve block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To protect (a file) from changes or deletion.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Psychology) A sudden cessation of speech or a thought process without an immediate observable cause, sometimes considered a consequence of repression. Also called mental block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To become fastened by or as if by means of a lock
The door locks automatically when shut.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Slang) The human head
threatened to knock my block off.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To become entangled or jammed; interlock.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To stop or impede the passage of or movement through; obstruct
block traffic.
mud that blocked the pipe.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To become rigid or immobile
The mechanism tends to lock in cold weather.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To prevent from happening, succeeding, or progressing
blocked every attempt to reform the rules.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

To pass through a lock or locks in a waterway.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To shut out from view
a curtain blocking the stage.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

simple past tense and past participle of lock
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To stop the passage of (a motion or bill) in a legislative assembly.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Having undergone locking; secured by a lock.
A locked door barred the way.
You can't delete a locked computer file.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Sports) To prevent or slow the movement of (an opponent) by using one's body, as by making a block in football.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

(Ireland) Very drunk.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Sports) To stop or deflect (a ball or puck) by using one's body.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Bound to a carrier.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Medicine) To interrupt or obstruct the functioning of (a physiological process), especially by the use of drugs.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

firmly fastened or secured against opening;
windows and doors were all fast
a locked closet
left the house properly secured
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(Psychology) To fail to remember.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Locked

Fixed or unchanging.
Her gaze was locked on the horizon.
Olivia
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

To support, strengthen, or retain in place by means of a block.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To shape, mold, or form with or on a block
block a hat.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To indicate broadly without great detail; sketch. Often used with out
block out a plan of action.
block out stage movements.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To run (trains) on a block system.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To obstruct the movement of an opponent by using one's body.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To stop or deflect a ball or puck by using one's body.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

To suffer a mental block. Often used with on
I blocked on his name.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

Obstructed, so that through movement or flow is prevented or impeded.
This road is blocked, so we must find another route.
Call a plumber to unclog the blocked drain.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

Unable to move owing to an obstruction.
The argument was over a blocked car in a driveway.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(of a person, telephone number, IP address, etc.) Banned or barred from connecting or logging on.
Blocked users will be unable to access their accounts indefinitely.
The phone will reject calls from blocked numbers.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

(of a computer account or similar) Disabled or disconnected, so as to prevent access.
All of this user's accounts are now blocked.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

Drunk
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

simple past tense and past participle of block
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

closed to traffic.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

at a complete standstill because of opposition of two unrelenting forces or factions.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

unusable because of some obstruction.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

closed to traffic;
the repaving results in many blocked streets
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

completely obstructed or closed off;
the storm was responsible for many blocked roads and bridges
the drain was plugged
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023

Blocked

Obstructed from normal function or path.
The road was blocked due to a fallen tree.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Prevented from accessing or communicating.
I was blocked by that user on social media.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Interrupted by an obstruction.
His shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked

Hindered or stopped from progressing.
The project was blocked by bureaucratic red tape.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023

Blocked vs. Locked Frequently Asked Questions

Is a "blocked" contact the same as a "locked" contact?

No, a blocked contact means they cannot reach you, while "locked" isn't typically used in this context.
Kaitlyn
Sep 26, 2023

What does "blocked" generally imply?

Blocked usually refers to an obstruction or hindrance.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Can a door be both blocked and locked?

Yes, a door can be locked for security and blocked by an object hindering its opening.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

How is "locked" typically used?

Locked denotes being securely fastened, often needing a key or mechanism to open.
Muazma Batool
Sep 26, 2023

What's the opposite of "blocked"?

Unblocked or cleared.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Is being "locked in a contract" similar to being "blocked"?

No, being locked in a contract means bound by its terms, whereas being blocked isn't used in this context.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Can a file on a computer be blocked or locked?

Yes, a file can be blocked from being accessed or locked with encryption or a password.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

Which term, blocked or locked, indicates stronger security?

Locked usually indicates stronger security as it requires a specific method to undo.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 26, 2023

If a road is blocked, does it mean it's locked?

No, a blocked road indicates an obstruction, while locked would mean secured against access.
Olivia
Sep 26, 2023

What's the opposite of "locked"?

Unlocked.
William
Sep 26, 2023

Content Creators

Written by
Muneeza Rehman
At Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma Batool
As a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.

Popular Comparisons

Trending Comparisons

New Comparisons