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暗礁 (あんしょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
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The ship ran aground on a reef.
Expressions 暗あん 礁しょう に 乗の り 上あ げる run aground; strike a reef; be stranded on a reef · reach a deadlock; come to a standstill; hit a snag Kanji 暗 darkness, disappear, shade Related words 暗礁 refers to a rock hidden completely below the water's surface, while 岩礁 can include rocks that are partly visible above the water.
暗礁 (figurative) suggests a hidden, unforeseen snag that suddenly stops progress, whereas 障害 is a more general word for any obstacle, visible or not.
Etymology Compound of 暗 (an, 'dark, hidden') and 礁 (shō, 'reef'). The figurative sense extends the idea of a hidden underwater hazard to abstract difficulties.
The negotiations between the two countries overcame several snags before reaching an agreement.
