inhibit

I1N1H4I1B3I1T1
/ɪnˈhɪbɪt/

verb

To hold in or hold back; to keep in check; restrain.

“inhibit someone's freedom”

Similar
behedgebluntcrimpforeclosedelaydifficultdiminishforestay
OriginLatin inhibitus →
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

verbinhibit (third-person singular simple present inhibits, present participle inhibiting, simple past and past participle inhibited)

present singular third person inhibits · participle present inhibiting · participle past inhibited · past inhibited

  1. transitiveTo hold in or hold back; to keep in check; restrain.

    inhibit someone's freedom

    1 more example

    inhibit someone's education

    Synonyms: behedge, blunt, crimp, foreclose, delay, difficult, diminish, forestay

  2. PhilippinesTo recuse.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo hold in or hold back; to keep in check; restrain.

Similar
behedgebluntcrimpforeclosedelaydifficultdiminishforestayretroactinterfereinterveneforslowfrustrateget in the wayhamperdashhandicaphinderhold uphurt

More synonyms by meaning

verbconsciously restrain from showing; of emotions, desires, impulses, or behavior

Similar
bottle upsuppress
Broader
restrainkeepkeep back
Also see
behedgebindbottle upcheckconstrictcurbhamshacklehold downhypoactivaterecuserepressstiflestultifysubduesuppressunderbringwithstrain

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latininhibitus
  2. Englishinhibit

From Latin inhibitus, perfect passive participle of inhibeō (“to hold in, check, restrain”), from in (“in, at, on”), + habeō (“to have, hold, keep”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian задържам, препятствам
  • задържам (zadăržam)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • препятствам (prepjatstvam)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Catalan inhibir
  • inhibirto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Chinese Mandarin 抑制
  • 抑制 (yìzhì)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Czech potlačit
  • potlačitto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Dutch remmen
  • remmento hold in or hold back; to restrain
Esperanto inhibicii
  • inhibiciito hold in or hold back; to restrain
Finnish rajoittaa, estää
  • rajoittaato hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • estääto hold in or hold back; to restrain
French inhiber
  • inhiberto hold in or hold back; to restrain
German hemmen, hindern
  • hemmento hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • hindernto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • sperrento hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • verhindernto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Greek αναχαιτίζω, αναστέλλω
  • αναχαιτίζω (anachaitízo)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • αναστέλλω (anastéllo)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Hindi बाधा डालना, रोकना
  • बाधा डालना (bādhā ḍālnā)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • रोकना (roknā)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Hungarian gátol, akadályoz
  • gátolto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • akadályozto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Irish urchoill
  • urchoillto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Italian inibire
  • inibireto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Japanese 抑制する 阻止する 制止する, 抑止する
  • 抑制する 阻止する 制止する (soshi-suru)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • 抑止する (yokushi-suru)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Māori tautāwhi, tāmoe
  • tautāwhito hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • tāmoeto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Portuguese inibir
  • inibirto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Romanian inhiba
  • inhibato hold in or hold back; to restrain
Russian подавля́ть, подави́ть
  • подавля́ть (podavljátʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • подави́ть (podavítʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • сде́рживать (sdérživatʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • сдержа́ть (sderžátʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • угнета́ть (ugnetátʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • препя́тствовать (prepjátstvovatʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • воспрепя́тствовать (vosprepjátstvovatʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • меша́ть (mešátʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • помеша́ть (pomešátʹ)to hold in or hold back; to restrain
Spanish inhibir, coartar
  • inhibirto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • coartarto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • inhibirsereflexive
Swedish hämma, avstyra
  • hämmato hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • avstyrato hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • förhindrato hold in or hold back; to restrain
Tagalog sansalain
  • sansalainto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Turkish engellemek, kısıtlamak
  • engellemekto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • kısıtlamakto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • önlemekto hold in or hold back; to restrain
  • tutmakto hold in or hold back; to restrain
Ukrainian перешкоджати
  • перешкоджати (pereškodžaty)to hold in or hold back; to restrain

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with inhibit

exhibitprohibitgibbetribbitadhibitcohibitzibet
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

inhibit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inhibit

MLA

“inhibit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inhibit. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inhibit,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inhibit.

Source: inhibit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.