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

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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

Related Words

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
Many people were reluctant to speak, as if the virus were taboo. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026 Istanbul attracts actors, athletes, musicians and creators seeking denser hairlines and more natural results, helping transform what was once a taboo procedure into routine maintenance. — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Noun
Since same-sex relationships have long been a social taboo in China, Yu told her family that Zhou was her friend and colleague. — Jenny S. Li, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026 Despite the taboo, Pan Am spent the 1980s running its own reassurance campaign amid a wave of hijacking and bombing threats against transatlantic flights, insisting on its own safety and security even as the threats mounted. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 25 Aug. 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
  • Their forbidden love leads the Jade Emperor to decree their separation on opposite sides of the Milky Way.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of forbidden
Noun
  • As written in the Bible, the Tenth Commandment is a stern prohibition.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Gujarat is known for its stringent alcohol prohibition under the Gujarat Prohibition Act of 1949, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Noun
  • There are likely many of you reading this who will never ever be convinced and see AI as anathema to creativity.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Ceding federal lands is also anathema to land preservation groups, which expressed dismay at the idea that any piece of Yosemite might be lost, no matter how small.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of anathema
Noun
  • Additionally, make sure to toss any fleece blankets, Peck adds, noting that keeping them on display—or worse, using them as sofa covers—is a major no-no for adults.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Apparently, the broadcast producer decided this was a no-no and either didn’t let Chex know or realized too late what was happening.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of no-no
Noun
  • It a thematic fit, and after nearly 200 episodes, there’s no doubting this team’s ability to deliver fresh, new abominations.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
  • And that was before the abomination — three-parts Netflix advertising event and one-part baseball game — even happened.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of abomination
Noun
  • Culture news and the SoCal scene The internet was flooded with news out of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art this week as an embargo lifted on coverage from inside the new 300,000-square-foot building in Exposition Park.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Despite six months of an almost continuous Gulf oil and natural gas embargo by Iran, the global economy is suffering minimal damage.
    — JAMES F. JEFFREY, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of embargo
Noun
  • Politicians and preachers denounced them for blasphemy, perversion, and their loud support for civil rights.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The leprous, lascivious body was a perversion that Western proselytizing could fix.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of perversion
Noun
  • New York City just instituted a sweeping ban on schools using AI in the classroom through the start of high school, along with other restrictions on the technology.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Rosaviatsiya -- announced temporary flight restrictions at airports in Sochi, Gelendzhik, Penza, Saratov, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about taboo

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