inhibit

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #39605

Meanings

1

verb
To slow down or hold back a process or action.

Cold weather can inhibit the growth of these plants.
2

verb
To make someone feel too shy or nervous to act freely.

The presence of the cameras seemed to inhibit the students.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to slow down or hold back a... hamper hinder restrain delay

2 verb · to make someone feel too... suppress

Word family

Forms inhibitedinhibitinginhibits

Derived forms autoinhibitbaroinhibitcoinhibitdisinhibitimmunoinhibitinhibininhibitabilityinhibitableinhibitantinhibiterinhibitivephotoinhibit

Related forms exhibit exhibition exhibitor inhibition inhibitorinhibitory

Etymology

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

*gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European inhibitus Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# inhibit

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 39605

## Meanings
1. To slow down or hold back a process or action.
2. To make someone feel too shy or nervous to act freely.

## Examples
- Cold weather can inhibit the growth of these plants.
- The presence of the cameras seemed to inhibit the students.

## Derived Forms
- autoinhibit
- baroinhibit
- coinhibit
- disinhibit
- immunoinhibit
- inhibin
- inhibitability
- inhibitable
- inhibitant
- inhibiter
- inhibitive
- photoinhibit

## Related Forms
- exhibit
- exhibition
- exhibitor
- inhibition
- inhibitor
- inhibitory

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰeh₁bʰ-
- Root: inhibitus

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

## AI Etymology
Inhibit comes from Latin inhibitus, perfect passive participle of inhibeō (“to hold in, check, restrain”), from in (“in, at, on”), + habeō (“to have, hold, keep”). The historical chain includes *gʰeh₁bʰ- (Proto-Indo-European) and inhibitus (Latin). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as autoinhibit, baroinhibit, coinhibit, and disinhibit and related forms such as exhibit, exhibition, and exhibitor. In present use it covers to slow down or hold back a process or action and to make someone feel too shy or nervous to act freely.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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inhibit

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