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

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
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 Striking up a conversation is taboo. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 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
  • 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
  • More recently, mathematicians have been able to adapt Erdős’ method to get better estimates of Ramsey numbers where the forbidden cliques differ vastly in size.
    — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2026
Definition of forbidden
Noun
  • One Democratic commissioner joined with three Republicans in voting in favor of the prohibition.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
  • The 14th Amendment’s foundational principles include birthright citizenship, due process, equal protection under the law, and the prohibition for heads of state to engage in acts of insurrection.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of prohibition
Noun
  • Similarly, big money hasn’t been anathema to either the governing body or the tournament, with FIFA’s president, Joao Havelange, partnering in 1974 with Horst Dassler, the chief executive of Adidas, to transform the organisation commercially.
    — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • The late founder’s associations with people who collaborated with France’s Nazi occupiers in World II and his multiple hate-speech convictions, including Holocaust denial, made the National Front anathema to many voters.
    — Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of anathema
Noun
  • Layer Your Lighting Relying solely on overhead lighting is a no-no when staging, explains Heather Amalaha, studio principal of Showhomes Premier Design Studio in Austin, Texas.
    — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 22 July 2026
  • On July 25, 2024, Cease tossed a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals, the third-most recent no-no in Major League Baseball.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 8 July 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
  • On Monday night, Houthi militants declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia effective immediately, threatening to exacerbate the oil supply disruption triggered by Iran’s attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 July 2026
  • If there are no production delays, then the review embargo will be the same as for the iPhone 18 Pro.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 20 July 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
  • Nonprofit experts told the Herald/Times earlier this year that the foundation’s actions could jeopardize its tax-exempt status because of the strict restrictions on how nonprofits can engage in politics or lobbying.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • In 2022, when the bank started requiring employees to return to the office as COVID-era restrictions eased, Arbuckle requested to continue working from home instead of commuting to uptown Charlotte.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 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 1 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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