inhibit

inhibit — verb

1. to make someone feel so shy, nervous, or self-conscious that they cannot act nat

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make someone feel so shy, nervous, or self-conscious that they cannot act naturally or freely express their thoughts and feelings

Example

The presence of the inspector made Bao feel too inhibited to speak openly about the project.

passive: feel inhibited

Lotte's fear of being laughed at inhibited her from singing in front of anyone.

inhibit + object + from + -ing

Common collocations
  • inhibit expression
  • inhibit creativity
  • inhibit speech
  • socially inhibited
  • feel inhibited
Synonyms
  • restrain

    more physical or external control; less about inner feelings

  • discourage

    weaker; suggests making someone less willing rather than unable

  • constrain

    focuses on being limited by external rules or circumstances

Antonyms
  • encourage

    to give someone confidence to act

  • liberate

    to free someone from psychological restrictions

Grammar Patterns

inhibit + object

inhibit + object + from + -ing

be inhibited

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive (felt inhibited, was inhibited from). The inhibition can come from within the person themselves or from external social pressure. The active form usually requires a stated cause (e.g., his shyness, the formal setting).

Common Mistakes

The school rules inhibit students from using phones during class.
The school rules prohibit students from using phones during class.
inhibit describes a psychological or emotional barrier, not a rule or law. Use prohibit for official bans.

2. to slow down or reduce the speed of a natural process, chemical reaction, or bio

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to slow down or reduce the speed of a natural process, chemical reaction, or biological activity

Example

Cold temperatures inside a refrigerator inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in food.

inhibit + growth (common scientific collocation)

The new drug works by inhibiting the enzyme that causes inflammation in the joints.

inhibiting + enzyme (biochemical process)

Common collocations
  • inhibit growth
  • inhibit the spread
  • inhibit enzyme activity
  • inhibit cell division
  • inhibit a reaction
Synonyms
  • slow

    more general; less formal

  • suppress

    stronger; suggests actively stopping or preventing

  • hinder

    to create difficulties that delay progress

  • retard

    technical synonym for slowing development; more formal

Antonyms
  • accelerate

    to increase the speed of a process

  • promote

    to encourage or support growth or activity

  • stimulate

    to make a process more active

Grammar Patterns

inhibit + process/growth/reaction

be inhibited by

inhibit + object + from + -ing

Usage Note

Common in scientific, medical, and technical writing. The object is typically a natural process, biological activity, or chemical reaction — not a person. Often used with the prepositions by and from.

Common Mistakes

The antibiotic completely inhibited the infection in one day.
The antibiotic inhibited the growth of the bacteria within 24 hours.
inhibit means to slow or reduce, not to stop completely. For complete stoppage, use prevent or eliminate.

Word family

  • inhibition
    nounB2
  • inhibitory
    adjectiveC1
  • uninhibited
    adjectiveC1
  • inhibitor
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe reducing the speed or intensity of something, but they differ in strength and context. Inhibit is the most neutral and common in scientific writing — it means to slow a process without necessarily stopping it (e.g., 'the drug inhibits tumor growth'). Slow is the most general and can be used in everyday language ('rain slowed traffic'). Suppress is stronger, implying active resistance or forceful reduction ('the government suppressed the rebellion'), and in medical contexts it suggests near-complete blockage ('suppress the immune response'). Hinder means to create obstacles that delay progress ('strong winds hindered the rescue effort'), but unlike inhibit, it does not have a common scientific usage. In an academic essay about a biological process, inhibit is the most precise choice; in casual conversation about daily setbacks, hinder or slow sound more natural.

inhibit ↗slow ↗suppress ↗hinder

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • inhibit the ability to
  • inhibit the growth of
  • inhibit the spread of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word inhibit comes from the Latin verb inhibere, meaning 'to hold in' or 'to restrain.' It was formed from in- ('into, in') and habēre ('to have, to hold'). The term passed into English through French (inhiber) in the 15th century, originally with the general meaning of 'to forbid' or 'to restrain.' Its modern psychological and scientific senses developed later, in the 19th and 20th centuries.