inhibited

Inhibited is an adjective meaning restrained, prevented from acting freely, or hindered. The term derives from Latin inhibere, to hold in or restrain, through Old French inhiber. It is used across disciplines to describe processes or states in which activity is reduced or blocked.

In psychology, behavioral inhibition describes a temperament in which individuals respond with wariness and withdrawal in unfamiliar situations. It is often studied in children and can be a predictor of later anxiety disorders, though it is not determinative and can change with experience and environment.

In biology and biochemistry, inhibition refers to mechanisms that reduce the activity of enzymes or metabolic processes. Enzyme inhibition types include competitive, noncompetitive, uncompetitive, and irreversible inhibition. Inhibition alters reaction rates and can redirect metabolic pathways, affecting overall physiology.

In pharmacology and neuroscience, inhibitors are compounds that slow or block biological signals. Inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA and glycine reduce neuronal excitability. Drugs may act as enzyme inhibitors, receptor antagonists, or signaling pathway inhibitors, and can be used to treat conditions by dampening overactive processes or blocking harmful signals.

In everyday language, to be inhibited means to be self-conscious or restricted by social norms or fears. The concept of inhibition is thus applied in contexts ranging from chemical reactions to human behavior, describing any process that limits or prevents full activity.