obstacle vs stymie

obstacle and stymie both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
obstacle	Yes	No	No	No
stymie	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, stymie is a hyponym of obstacle; that is, stymie is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than obstacle:

obstacle: something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
stymie: a thwarting and distressing situation

Other hyponyms of obstacle include barrier, roadblock, hang-up, hitch, rub, snag, hurdle, stymy.

obstacle (noun)	stymie (noun)
an obstruction that stands in the way (and must be removed or surmounted or circumvented)	a thwarting and distressing situation
something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted	a situation in golf where an opponent's ball blocks the line between your ball and the hole

obstacle (verb)	stymie (verb)
	hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of