To inhibit means to hold something back, slow it down, or prevent it from happening. When a coach tells players not to let nervousness inhibit their performance, she means don't let those jittery feelings stop you from playing your best. When scientists say that a medicine inhibits the growth of bacteria, they mean it slows down or blocks the bacteria from multiplying.

The word often describes invisible forces that restrain or limit something. Cold weather inhibits plant growth. Shyness might inhibit someone from raising their hand in class, even when they know the answer. A heavy backpack could inhibit your ability to run fast.

Notice that inhibit doesn't always mean completely stopping something. It's more about creating resistance or interference. If fear of failure inhibits your creativity, it doesn't mean you can't create anything at all, but that fear makes it harder for your creative ideas to flow freely. Something that inhibits acts like a brake that slows things down, or a dam that restricts water flow, rather than a wall that blocks everything completely.

The opposite of inhibit is to encourage, promote, or facilitate. Instead of holding something back, you help it move forward.