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 statements were positive but restrained, reflecting the pain inflicted by this saga.
    — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • His restrained demeanor contrasts with Moreno, the brash former car dealer who entered politics as an outsider.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Mizzou had nine penalties for 90 yards, including five in the first half, that hampered the offense.
    — PJ Green September 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026
  • After injuries hampered his senior season, Bass-Moore encouraged her son to finish his final year of high school and not enroll early at Notre Dame.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This isn’t an AI fighting on its own The T800 was remotely controlled by a human operator.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The malware then sends collected information back to infrastructure controlled by the attacker.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 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
  • Several people, including Simonton, described Allen as aloof from his workers.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Legalism emphasized that leaders should remain aloof from the governed.
    — Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The ongoing conflict that has driven people from their homes in Iran as well as an internet shutdown and a lack of full cooperation from the two governments partially impeded the team's efforts to get information.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The ongoing conflict that has driven people from their homes in Iran as well as an internet shutdown and a lack of full cooperation from the two governments partially impeded the team’s efforts to get information.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • If that money train stalls, the effects won’t be contained to tech investors on Wall Street.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • And the sadistic acts 764 perpetrators promote are not always contained to a computer screen.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • If millions still want children but are discouraged from having them, then the fertility slump marks a substantial social failure.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Either properly discouraged by the police presence or too damned hot to fight, people largely behaved.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Inhibited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibited. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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