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
Both mainly reduced trade barriers and committed all three governments to avoid policies that inhibited commercial flows with one another. Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 The rough waters, which included waves that were about 13 feet high, inhibited rescue efforts. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 12 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibited
Adjective
  • The storefront itself remains restrained, with each window presenting a single frame on a sculptural glass pedestal.
    Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The push comes as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces criticism at home for a restrained response, trying to balance Japan’s alliance with Washington and its commitment to international justice.
    Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The favorite was Lamar Jackson, who was later hampered by injuries and finished with a career-low rushing output.
    Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Poor air quality and limited visibility have also hampered firefighting efforts, carried out with equipment from Japan that arrived on Thursday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In my experience, the strongest engagements begin when both sides understand what can be influenced, what cannot be controlled and how progress will be evaluated.
    Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Anything unexpectedly or especially moving, rousing, funny or strange, things that go against the grain of a production that wants to keep things controlled in order to bring the ship in on time.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 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
  • In those cases, a house becomes heirs’ property, a somewhat aloof legal term that can have devastating real-world impacts as a common driver of involuntary home loss, legal experts say.
    Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Deadline first reported that John Lithgow was nearing final talks for the role of Albus Dumbledore, the aloof yet powerful headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There was a clear opposition to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) implemented by the European Union, alongside other unilateral measures that members believe have impeded trade.
    Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Bab el-Mandeb’s importance to global oil supplies has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been impeded by Iran during its war with the United States and Israel.
    Ahmed al-Haj, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Thomasin McKenzie plays a young woman, Alyce, steeped in her own trauma and loss, who attaches herself to the ploughman, and her ability to express wide-eyed, barely contained hysteria and fear is unmatched.
    Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • One narrative contained in the Koran speaks of the people of Ad.
    Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Anything beyond loud noise is discouraged, and perhaps feared by those in charge at Ole Miss, given how emotional Kiffin’s return will be.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Foreign visitors could be discouraged from visiting Nepal as well, impacting an industry that accounts for about 7% of the country’s GDP and more than one million jobs.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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