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Definition of inhibit verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

inhibit

verb
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they inhibit
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪt/
he / she / it inhibits
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪts/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪts/
past simple inhibited
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/
past participle inhibited
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/
-ing form inhibiting
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪŋ/
 
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. inhibit something (formal) to prevent something from happening or make it happen more slowly or less frequently than normal
    • A lack of oxygen may inhibit brain development in the unborn child.
    • Financial considerations are inhibiting access to higher education.
    • Alcohol significantly inhibits the action of the drug.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • greatly
    • markedly
    • seriously
    verb + inhibit
    • tend to
    preposition
    • from
    See full entry
  2. inhibit somebody (from something/from doing something) to make somebody nervous or embarrassed so that they are unable to do something
    • The managing director's presence inhibited them from airing their problems.
    • The fear of dismissal inhibited employees from raising problems.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • greatly
    • markedly
    • seriously
    verb + inhibit
    • tend to
    preposition
    • from
    See full entry
  3. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘forbid (a person) to do something’): from Latin inhibere ‘hinder’, from in- ‘in’ + habere ‘hold’.
See inhibit in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee inhibit in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
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