inhibited 1 of 2

inhibited

2 of 2

verb

past tense of inhibit
1
2
3
as in dissuaded
to steer (a person) from an activity or course of action a fundamental sense of propriety should have inhibited you from making a drunken spectacle of yourself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inhibited
Adjective
Both players were so inhibited for the final game of the set that the level of play resembled something from a local park. Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 27 May 2026 This really is a time to be less inhibited about going out. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 25 May 2026 School is the crucible where raw vitality encounters the collective will to impose order and control but also to bring cultural richness to lives that might otherwise remain inhibited and crude. Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 Her last and only boyfriend, Tim, would have been too inhibited. Cassandra Neyenesch, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026 Participants who appeared engaged, responsive, and comfortable in the interaction, maintaining eye contact and seeming open rather than inhibited, were far more likely to be liked. Big Think, 18 Mar. 2026 Callie hangs out with her more inhibited best friend, Minnie Dunn, played spectacularly well by Katherine Mallen Kupferer. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026 There are students who feel inhibited from expressing their Jewish or Zionist identity because of the atmosphere of the atmosphere of intimidation or harassment on college campuses. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 Nini and Lali seemed happier without him—more relaxed, less inhibited. Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
At the time, recovery teams were navigating days of bad weather, which inhibited search efforts, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 Emerging research shows that the diaphragm’s ability to act as a respiratory muscle is inhibited during active bracing for spinal stability. Dana Santas, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 This action supports methanogens, too, since they are inhibited by oxygen. Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 27 July 2026 Ferreira found that peptides in the venom powerfully inhibited an enzyme involved in regulating blood pressure. Steve Midway, STAT, 16 July 2026 Moon said that grieving Barnett has been a slow, complex process inhibited by the nearly two years of legal proceedings between her father’s death and Johnson’s conviction. Ilana Arougheti june 30, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026 So, that has sometimes inhibited our ability to respond to [news]. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2026 Curiosity itself is not disappearing, but it can be inhibited by several factors including things like fear, assumptions, technology, and interactions in workplace environments. Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 Hurricane formation can be inhibited by strong wind shear over the Atlantic, stirred by the pattern of warmer-than-normal waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibited
Adjective
  • The formula is closer to reserved + low-energy + emotionally restrained + literal + technocratic + untheatrical + less visionary + less attention-seeking.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The man has been robbed, restrained and bound in Chicago before being taken to Harvey and left there, the news release said.
    Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But the lack of a proper contest between bat and ball in Pakistani domestic first-class cricket has starved locals of that preparation time and hampered the development of genuine pace.
    Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • However, difficult weather conditions hampered the search in the following days, as the service wrote in a subsequent update.
    Adam England, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The now 34-year-old claimed that Debra controlled every aspect of her personal and financial life until her mother died due to cancer in 2013.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The siblings’ father, Jerry Buss, controlled the team from 1979 until his death in 2013.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Trump may be taking a risk by leaning into this more, though, because Democrats may be dissuaded by his close involvement in the bill.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This has not dissuaded residents from demanding action from city officials.
    Noah Daly August 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Technically very good, but also a little aloof, while getting good results without appearing to try desperately hard to impress you.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Akihito, who abdicated in 2019, tried to bring what was seen as an aloof monarchy closer to the people, an example followed by his son, Naruhito, and his family.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Limited fiber-optic coverage left consumers with slow connections, which impeded digital transactions and the delivery of valuable offerings.
    Jim DeLoach, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the setting of so many of the sculptures against the wall impeded the kind of looking the works demand.
    Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Debuting as Unwell Hydration, the initial line came in three flavors and contained electrolytes, vitamins and caffeine.
    Ashley Carman, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Mahtani said the Situational Awareness debacle reflected poor risk management, but that its broader impact had been largely contained.
    Hugh Leask, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Employees leave these conversations confused, discouraged and wondering why concerns were never addressed before the formal review process.
    Lauren Russell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Some have also argued that concerns about being perceived as racist discouraged earlier scrutiny of the allegations.
    Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inhibited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibited. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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