taboo 1 of 2

adjective

tə-ˈbü How to pronounce taboo (audio)
variants also tabu
Definition of taboonext
as in forbidden
that may not be permitted asking a guest how much money he or she makes is strictly taboo because it's a rude question to ask a stranger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

taboo

2 of 2

noun

variants also tabu
1
as in prohibition

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in anathema

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Dissimilar Words

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 taboo
Adjective
Eleni Sadik would likely be considered a taboo role by Turkish censors. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 July 2026 The subject remains so taboo that Denny has expressed concerns that the film could be censored in some areas. — Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026
Noun
Menopause is in the conversation now, and the taboo is fading (slowly). — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 July 2026 Waters also explains why another Waters – taboo-breaking filmmaker John Waters (no relation to Sasha) – plays such an important role in the documentary. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for taboo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taboo
  1. forbidden
  2. prohibition
  3. anathema
  4. no-no
  5. abomination
  6. embargo
  7. perversion
  8. restriction
Adjective
  • To control the dangerous unfettered use of magic, an oversight council established ground rules on what is considered forbidden magic and the knowledge of its existence.
    — Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Last November, both TMZ and CBS News reported alleged infractions, including being caught with homemade alcohol and trying to make a forbidden three-way phone call.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, VIBE.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of forbidden
Noun
  • Blind to Russia’s own staged electoral process, the Kremlin has repeatedly pushed the idea that the martial law prohibition on Ukrainian elections in wartime means Zelensky is illegitimate.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • DeSantis has signed strict legislation into law on the issue, including a prohibition on data centers passing on costs to ratepayers and new authority for local communities to reject data centers from being built.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Noun
  • Over the ensuing decades, however, advertising became something anathema to Hollywood.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
  • His alliance with the far-right of American politics is anathema to the over 70% of Jewish Americans who vote Democratic.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of anathema
Noun
  • As has no doubt become evident even at this early stage of our article, identikit stadiums of the flat-pack variety located in retail parks are something of a no-no for this writer.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Mills was grabbed and scolded by defensive coordinator Aden Durde for his obvious no-no.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of no-no
Noun
  • And that was before the abomination — three-parts Netflix advertising event and one-part baseball game — even happened.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
  • Qatar 2022 was an abomination in so many ways, a World Cup staged in a nation roughly the size of Connecticut, with an appalling human rights record, but the football was frequently thrilling.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 June 2026
Definition of abomination
Noun
  • There was never a formal announcement of the ban from Beijing, and research by the geographer Julie Klinger suggests that the embargo may not have resulted from a central directive.
    — GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The embargo is the sharpest edge of a campaign (that also includes sweeping sanctions) to starve Tehran of oil revenue and undermine its economy, with the cost borne largely by ordinary Iranians.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of embargo
Noun
  • The leprous, lascivious body was a perversion that Western proselytizing could fix.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • More broadly, this same chain of logic turns the Voting Rights Act into a zombie law, a perversion of its intended purpose that now mostly protects white Americans from any attempts to break their disproportionate control of voting machinery.
    — Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
Definition of perversion
Noun
  • And why should airport baggage restrictions get in the way of a good travel look?
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • New York state requires riders of all forms of e-bikes to be at least 16, and New York City imposes additional restrictions, including a 15 mph (24 kph) speed limit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of restriction

Browse Nearby Words

tabloids
taboo
taboos
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Cite this Entry

“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taboo. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on taboo

Nglish: Translation of taboo for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about taboo

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