inhibit
to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).
to prohibit; forbid.
Psychology. to consciously or unconsciously suppress or restrain (psychologically or sociologically unacceptable behavior).
Chemistry. to decrease the rate of action of or stop (a chemical reaction).
Origin of inhibit
1synonym study For inhibit
Other words for inhibit
Other words from inhibit
- in·hib·it·a·ble, adjective
- in·hib·i·to·ry [in-hib-i-tawr-ee], /ɪnˈhɪb ɪˌtɔr i/, in·hib·i·tive, adjective
- o·ver·in·hib·it, verb (used with object)
- un·in·hib·it·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use inhibit in a sentence
Sodium also inhibits the growth of bacteria, making it almost ubiquitous in many categories of processed and packaged foods.
Salt: The dietary danger that’s easy to ignore | Karen Sandstrom | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostFor the Covid-19 vaccine, side effects from the first dose, scheduling conflicts, or supply shortages may inhibit recipients from getting the second dose.
The FDA is preparing to authorize the first Covid-19 vaccine in the US | Umair Irfan | December 11, 2020 | VoxIts short wavelength also inhibits its ability to travel distances or go through walls, which is part of why the Wi-Fi alliance sees such a strong future for 5G and Wi-Fi to complement each other down the road.
When those brain chemicals were inhibited by naltrexone and rimonabant, belief no longer mattered.
Climate change should not be up for debate, but too often the conversation focuses solely on the veracity of claims about the climate crisis, hitting an immediate roadblock and inhibiting our ability to further the discussion on possible solutions.
What ‘Schitt’s Creek’ can teach us about climate action | matthewheimer | December 6, 2020 | Fortune
The high price of the Tesla Model S—about $60,000—is inhibiting more widespread adoption.
Uncertainty over the TPC's future is inhibiting new investment.
This could be sexually inhibiting for her, especially in a repressive time when all young women were supposed to be virgins.
Kathryn Harrison on Rasputin in New Novel 'Enchantments' | Jane Ciabattari | March 29, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIt was a week of strained tenseness; a certain electricity seemed at hand in the atmosphere, inhibiting speech.
The Onslaught from Rigel | Fletcher PrattThe only probable explanation is that the inhibiting circumstance was the established belief in the assumption.
Our Lady Saint Mary | J. G. H. BarryThe nervous shock had thrown the stomach out of order, inhibiting the secretion of gastric juice.
Nervous Breakdowns and How to Avoid Them | Charles David MusgroveCertain media possess the power of inhibiting the growth of a greater or less number of species.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreIt was that which had held me silent in my chair, inhibiting all will to rise and begin the next needful step.
The Book of Susan | Lee Wilson Dodd
British Dictionary definitions for inhibit
/ (ɪnˈhɪbɪt) /
to restrain or hinder (an impulse, a desire, etc)
to prohibit; forbid
to stop, prevent, or decrease the rate of (a chemical reaction)
electronics
to prevent the occurrence of (a particular signal) in a circuit
to prevent the performance of (a particular operation)
Origin of inhibit
1Derived forms of inhibit
- inhibitable, adjective
- inhibitive or inhibitory, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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