INHIBITION Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

inhibition

noun

ˌin-hə-ˈbi-shən

Definition of inhibition

as in restraint

the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others an innate inhibition made it difficult for him to tell his girlfriend what he was really feeling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in obstacle

something that makes movement or progress difficult without the inhibition of their jackets, the boys were able to wrestle more vigorously

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhibition The fractured country united around that team, dropped its inhibitions and partied until the wee hours. — Miami Herald, 5 June 2026 The little people are being menaced by a dark force—a force with power, money, and very few moral inhibitions. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026 Shrug off inhibitions and break the ice as the moon and Uranus harmonize. — Usa Today, USA Today, 4 June 2026 Amy Lawrence pointed out that, while Arsenal possess that type of player, there is a level of inhibition. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhibition

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhibition

Noun

The Houthis appear to have mistaken Saudi restraint for an inability to act.

— Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Hamas, which has been decimated but not yet unseated, has so far shown relative restraint and a willingness to absorb regular hits, including a series of assassinations of its members and regular airstrikes by Israel.

— KHALED ELGINDY, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of restraint

Noun

Galarza said misconceptions about electric stoves are the largest obstacle to broader use.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Read More Roborock’s Saros 20 stands out for its ability to climb tall thresholds, avoid obstacles with impressive accuracy, and clean under low furniture thanks to its slim design.

— Brad Bourque, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacle

Noun

At the event, 20 experts from a variety of disciplines crowded into a room in a Fort Lauderdale hotel and tried to address the growing concern of rising carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
The academies hire civilian faculty to offer expertise in topics and disciplines that military officers don’t study as part of their careers, such as English and the humanities.

— Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of discipline

Noun

This year, for example, Regan dropped an initiative that would have restricted hospital executives’ pay, in exchange for the California Hospital Association not imposing new administrative hurdles on unions pursuing political campaigns.

— Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
One of the biggest hurdles the state faces is communicating to the public the importance of these fires.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of hurdle

Noun

International experts have denounced President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s repression of the opposition and push to eliminate term limits as worrisome turns toward autocracy.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Students were recorded chanting against the morality police and political repression.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of repression

Noun

He was sentenced to concurrent life terms in federal prison on six charges, nearly 12 years on a firearm conspiracy charge and 10 years on an obstruction of justice charge.

— Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026
Where Montoya lived Montoya faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, possession of false immigration documents, use of false immigration documents and obstruction of agency proceedings.

— Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of obstruction

Noun

The use of pseudonyms by female writers born in the nineteenth century is typically understood as a feminist loophole around the patriarchal suppression of women’s writing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Some of the footage was played during a dayslong suppression hearing last December, when the defense argued evidence recovered during the arrest should be suppressed because Mangione’s backpack was improperly searched.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of suppression

Noun

Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019.

— Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of embarrassment

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inhibiting

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Style

“Inhibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inhibition. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inhibition

noun

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