inhibited (C1)

adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/

Definition

Feeling unable to act in a relaxed or natural way because of self-consciousness or social anxiety.

Examples

• She felt inhibited by the presence of her strict supervisor during the meeting.

• A few glasses of wine helped him feel less inhibited on the dance floor.

• The child was too inhibited to join the other kids in the playground game.

How to Use inhibited

feel inhibited (collocation)

to experience the state of being held back — "He often feels inhibited when speaking a foreign language."

inhibited by (prepositional phrase)

the cause of the restraint — "The project was inhibited by a lack of funding."

Synonyms of inhibited

Words with a similar meaning to inhibited:

• shy
• reserved
• self-conscious
• reticent

Antonyms of inhibited

Words with the opposite meaning to inhibited:

• uninhibited
• outgoing

Browse the full Anaversity dictionary