inhibit

American  

[in-hib-it] / ɪnˈhɪb ɪt /

verb (used with object)

• inhibits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• inhibited,
  past participle,  past
• inhibiting
  present participle

1. to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   obstruct, discourage, repress

2. to prohibit; forbid.

   Synonyms:

   interdict

3. Psychology. to consciously or unconsciously suppress or restrain (psychologically or sociologically unacceptable behavior).

4. Chemistry. to decrease the rate of action of or stop (a chemical reaction).

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inhibit British  

/ ɪnˈhɪbɪt /

verb

1. to restrain or hinder (an impulse, a desire, etc)

2. to prohibit; forbid

3. to stop, prevent, or decrease the rate of (a chemical reaction)

4. electronics

   1. to prevent the occurrence of (a particular signal) in a circuit

   2. to prevent the performance of (a particular operation)

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Usage

What’s the difference between inhibit and prohibit? Prohibit most commonly means to forbid or disallow, but it can also mean what inhibit usually means—to prevent or hinder. Inhibit can also mean to forbid, but this use is much less common. Prohibit is most commonly used in the context of rules, especially official ones like laws. The speed limit prohibits you from going above a certain speed. Parents might prohibit their kids from eating candy before dinner, but the word forbid is more commonly used in cases like this. Inhibit, on the other hand, is usually used in the context of things that prevent or hinder what someone is trying to do. Speed bumps are designed to inhibit speeding. A leg injury can inhibit your ability to walk. The meaning of prohibit and inhibit most often overlaps in cases when something is inhibited to the point of almost not being able to happen at all, as in This cast is designed to prohibit movement (prohibit could be replaced with inhibit in this sentence without much or any change in meaning). The adjective form inhibited is often used to indicate that someone or something is held back from full potential. When it’s applied to a person, it usually involves a mental, emotional, or psychological block, as in I feel less inhibited around my new group of friends—they accept me for who I am. The adjective prohibited describes something that’s forbidden, as in The sign lists all of the prohibited activities. Here’s an example of inhibit and prohibit used correctly in the same sentence. Example: To inhibit the acceleration of climate change, we must prohibit any increase in fossil fuel emissions. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inhibit and prohibit.

Synonym Usage

See forbid.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overinhibit
  verb (used with object)
• inhibitable
  adjective
• inhibitive
  adjective
• inhibitory
  adjective
• uninhibiting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• inhibiting
  present
• inhibited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• inhibit
  simple
• inhibits
  simple
• have inhibited
  perfect
• has inhibited
  perfect
• am inhibiting
  progressive
• are inhibiting
  progressive
• is inhibiting
  progressive
• have been inhibiting
  perfect progressive
• has been inhibiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• inhibited
  simple
• had inhibited
  perfect
• was inhibiting
  progressive
• were inhibiting
  progressive
• had been inhibiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will inhibit
  simple
• will have inhibited
  perfect
• will be inhibiting
  progressive
• will have been inhibiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of inhibit

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English inhibiten, from Latin inhibitus, past participle of inhibēre “to restrain,” equivalent to in- in- ² + -hibēre, combining form of habēre “to have, hold”

Explanation

When you inhibit something, you block it or hold it back. If you put plants in a dark room, you inhibit their growth. A teacher who mocks their students for giving wrong answers inhibits their willingness to speak up in class. When you look at the word inhibit, think hinder. Though it sounds like it might be a bad thing to inhibit something else, there is no judgment built into the word. A drug that inhibits the growth of cancer cells would generally be considered a very good thing. While you may wish cancer cells to be inhibited, you probably don't wish it upon your friend's sense of humor or your country's economic growth.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inhibit inhibits inhibited inhibiting

In 2007, responding to a proposed British boycott of Israel, PEN declared that it “emphatically opposes any efforts to inhibit the free international exchange of literature, art, information, or knowledge.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

After a fire, heavy metal particles can spread through ash and smoke over gardens and inhibit growth, said Olukayode Jegede, an agricultural toxicologist and assistant professor at UC Davis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Under normal circumstances, Purkinje cells inhibit deep nuclei cells.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026

US forecasters have already predicted a "below normal" Atlantic hurricane season as stronger upper-level winds can inhibit storm development.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Their role was to act as agents provocateurs, and they would attempt to push us around, take our food, and inhibit any political discussions we tried to have.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Too much bracken inhibits the growth of the dog violet, the food source for the caterpillars.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The massive share of China’s CPU market that Intel and AMD have enjoyed for decades inhibits the development of Chinese alternatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Or the kite maker might have attached the string in a way that inhibits the kite’s ability to catch air pressure and rise.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026

"In the liver, nitric oxide inhibits the proteins that make fat and cholesterol. In fat tissue, nitric oxide inhibits the genetic program that makes the enzymes that create fat," he said.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 6, 2026

In temperature inversions, air movement is inhibited—the cold air can't rise and the warm air doesn’t fall—which in turn inhibits rainfall.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The US State Department said last year that "official complicity, including at senior levels, inhibited effective law enforcement action against trafficking crimes" in Cambodia.

From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026

"I know that I've benefited from the warnings put on books and on topics of discussion within the seminars but I've not felt inhibited from my degree."

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Once this protein was inhibited, the older muscle stem cells began behaving more like young ones.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2026

It was something neither she nor her coaches had ever clocked from just straight video footage, inhibited by limiting angles and baggy snowboarding clothing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

At night, by some chemical process unknown to me but obviously inhibited by sunlight, the predatory algae turned highly acidic and the ponds became vats of acid that digested the fish.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

The drug works by inhibiting RAS proteins that promote tumor growth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026

"We combined different approaches to control the expression of the CCL3 gene specifically in neutrophils, without inhibiting it in other cells. A delicate exercise!" she says.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026

The drug works by inhibiting what’s called Factor XIa, which can lead to blood clotting.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025

But he showed age is not inhibiting him as he won a 41-shot rally to save a break point in the fourth set on his way to beating Zverev in three hours and 18 minutes.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2025

And fear worse than hunger, fear like a paralysis, inhibiting movement, fear so strong it was something they could feel and taste.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry

Related Words

• constrain
• curb
• discourage
• forbid
• hinder
• impede
• obstruct
• outlaw
• prohibit
• restrain
• stymie
• suppress