1
2
3
as in to discourage
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb inhibit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of inhibit are forbid, interdict, and prohibit. While all these words mean "to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done," inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation.

conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

When is forbid a more appropriate choice than inhibit?

The words forbid and inhibit can be used in similar contexts, but forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected.

smoking is forbidden in the building

When is it sensible to use interdict instead of inhibit?

While in some cases nearly identical to inhibit, interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose.

practices interdicted by the church

When might prohibit be a better fit than inhibit?

The synonyms prohibit and inhibit are sometimes interchangeable, but prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations.

prohibited the sale of liquor

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 inhibit Who in their right mind wants to inhibit a child’s ability to understand the difference between violence and pleasure? Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 5 May 2025 But its receptiveness to hormone treatments could help his medical team inhibit the cancer’s growth, at least temporarily. Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 In my research on what inhibits curiosity, one pattern came up repeatedly. Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 These probiotics work by replenishing beneficial bacteria and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. 4. Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for inhibit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibit
Verb
  • The affair did not impede Smotrich’s ascent as a settler activist and politician.
    Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
  • Any action that impedes these dynamics should be flatly rejected because unnecessarily regulating a competitive marketplace will only harm consumers.
    Michael Santorelli, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Despite the encroachment of people in their natural habitats, alligators remain an important predator regulating ecosystem populations in the nation’s wetlands.
    Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • The team worked quickly to regulate his blood glucose, rehydrate him, and start him on antibiotics—just in time.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • State wildlife biologists and Parks and Wildlife officials said killing the wolf is meant to change pack behavior by discouraging the predators from targeting livestock.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 30 May 2025
  • That guidance similarly discourages blanket exclusions and encourages individualized assessments that consider the nature of the offense, its recency, and its relevance to the job.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • However, incomplete knowledge of prolonged symptoms experienced after a young child’s own SARS-CoV-2 infection hinders prevention and treatment of LC in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.
    Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • He has been charged with a collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors.
    Peter D'Abrosca , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • Choose products with humectants: When looking for products to maintain your hair's moisture, select those that contain humectants, which are substances that attract and hold water to hydrate the hair.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
  • But decades of poor water management, which have dried up lakes, rivers, and wetlands that once helped contain these storms, have turned sand and dust storms into a pressing challenge for the region, with many consequences.
    Sanam Mahoozi, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • Image Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett Don’t let Emily Wilde’s practical-seeming diary entries dissuade you: Fawcett’s novel, the first book in a series, is witty, frank and incredibly endearing.
    Ashley Poston, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • The dissuading a witness charge against the father stems from what the prosecution said allegedly happened after the boy stopped breathing and his mother carried his limp body upstairs.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2025
  • Online shopping has been severely hampered at the retailer due to outages to its website that are expected to last into July.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • The plaintiffs contend that laws targeting political deepfakes, particularly those aimed at curbing election misinformation, risk silencing legitimate satire and expression.
    Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • South Korea’s central bank on Thursday raised its policy rate to curb inflation, delivering six back-to-back rate hikes for the first time.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inhibit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibit. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inhibit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!