inhibit
Americanverb (used with object)
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to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- obstruct, discourage, repress
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to prohibit; forbid.
- Synonyms:
- interdict
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Psychology. to consciously or unconsciously suppress or restrain (psychologically or sociologically unacceptable behavior).
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Chemistry. to decrease the rate of action of or stop (a chemical reaction).
verb
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to restrain or hinder (an impulse, a desire, etc)
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to prohibit; forbid
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to stop, prevent, or decrease the rate of (a chemical reaction)
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electronics
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to prevent the occurrence of (a particular signal) in a circuit
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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
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overinhibitverb (used with object)
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inhibitableadjective
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inhibitiveadjective
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inhibitoryadjective
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uninhibitingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inhibitsimple
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inhibitssimple
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have inhibitedperfect
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has inhibitedperfect
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am inhibitingprogressive
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are inhibitingprogressive
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is inhibitingprogressive
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have been inhibitingperfect progressive
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has been inhibitingperfect progressive
Past
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inhibitedsimple
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had inhibitedperfect
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was inhibitingprogressive
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were inhibitingprogressive
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had been inhibitingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing inhibit
Advanced English Words
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
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
There are also sky-high maintenance and staffing expenses, which may inhibit even the wealthiest buyers.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Housing is an area of particular focus for Mr. Lindsey, since he rightfully notes that it is beset by bad regulations and high prices that inhibit family formation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 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
This is all because of persistent high pressure over the UK where air tends to sink and inhibits cloud formation.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 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
The study, titled "Leucine inhibits degradation of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins to adapt mitochondrial respiration," was published in Nature Cell Biology.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025
“You probably don’t know this, but it’s not just granny folklore. One published study shows that the soup inhibits the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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
Hall told the BBC: "The worry will be with loose language people will feel inhibited about talking about things which are genuinely important today."
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 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
Among other things, scientists involved in the case claim that the practice of gene patenting has inhibited their research, and they aim to stop it.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
The drug works by inhibiting RAS proteins that promote tumor growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
The drug works by inhibiting what’s called Factor XIa, which can lead to blood clotting.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
Malin explained that metformin partly works by inhibiting specific mitochondrial processes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
