Definition and pronunciation
inhibition /ˌɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/ — noun: a feeling, restraint, or psychological block that prevents someone from acting freely, naturally, or confidently.
Easy explanation
Inhibition is when you hold yourself back from doing or saying something, usually because of shyness, fear, or social rules. For example, a person may feel inhibition about dancing in public or talking about sex.
Grammatical formation
- Noun: inhibition (plural: inhibitions).
- Adjective: inhibited.
- Opposite adjective: uninhibited.
- Verb: to inhibit.
Meanings and nuances
- Psychological restraint — an inner feeling that stops free expression (“She lost her inhibition after a drink”).
- Social/cultural restraint — society’s rules that limit behavior (“Social inhibitions discourage open talk about sex”).
- Biological/medical — the slowing or prevention of a process (e.g., “enzyme inhibition” in biology).
With prepositions and variants
- inhibition about: “He has inhibitions about public speaking.”
- inhibition against: “There are no inhibitions against laughter here.”
- free from inhibition: “She danced free from inhibition.”
Common collocations
social inhibition, sexual inhibition, loss of inhibition, free of inhibition, overcome inhibition, inhibition in public, inhibition therapy
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- “let your hair down” — relax and drop inhibitions
- “loosen up” — reduce stiffness or self-control
- “throw caution to the wind” — abandon restraint
Word comparisons
- inhibition vs shyness: shyness = personality trait; inhibition = psychological restraint, often situational.
- inhibition vs repression: repression = deep unconscious control; inhibition = conscious or semi-conscious restraint.
- inhibition vs modesty: modesty = humility or decency; inhibition = restraint caused by fear, shame, or social rules.
Real-life examples
- “Alcohol lowers inhibitions and makes people act more freely.”
- “Cultural inhibitions stop open discussion of sex.”
- “He overcame his inhibition about singing in public.”
- “Therapy helped her reduce her inhibitions.”
- “The festival encouraged people to drop their inhibitions.”
Sample sentences
- “She felt inhibition about speaking to strangers.”
- “He lost his inhibitions on the dance floor.”
- “Cultural inhibitions prevent open talk about sexuality.”
- “Alcohol often lowers inhibitions.”
- “Her inhibitions kept her from expressing desire.”
- “They lived without social inhibitions.”
- “The class helped students overcome inhibitions in public speaking.”
- “Sexual inhibitions vary from culture to culture.”
- “His inhibition made him seem cold.”
- “She admired his uninhibited laughter.”
Synonyms
restraint, reserve, shyness, timidity, hesitation, self-consciousness, constraint, repression, control
Antonyms
freedom, ease, openness, confidence, boldness, frankness, uninhibitedness, spontaneity
Related terms
repression, suppression, modesty, prudery, inhibition therapy, social anxiety, inhibition release, uninhibited
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Inhibition has a strong connection to sexuality. Sexual inhibitions are the internal blocks, fears, or social rules that prevent people from expressing their desires or talking openly about sex. Being “uninhibited” often implies sexual openness or adventurousness.
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