拦路 literally means 'to block the road' — combining 拦 (lán), meaning 'to stop, obstruct, or intercept', and 路 (lù), meaning 'road' or 'path'. As a verb, it describes physically blocking someone’s passage on a street, path, or highway. Historically and in literature, it often carries a negative connotation, evoking images of bandits stopping travelers to rob them — hence the secondary meaning 'to rob on the highway'.

In modern usage, 拦路 appears in both literal and figurative contexts: police may 拦路 check IDs; protesters might 拦路 express dissent; and news reports sometimes describe criminals 拦路抢劫 (robbing people on the street). While it can describe non-criminal obstruction (e.g., construction barriers), context usually signals intent — neutral or hostile. It’s typically used in written Chinese and formal speech, less common in casual daily conversation.