Meaning & use
lose inhibitions
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
To stop feeling shy or embarrassed about doing something, so that you act more freely.
Grammar: Often used with a possessive pronoun: lose your inhibitions, lose her inhibitions.
Patterns
- lose your inhibitions
- lose inhibitions about doing something
After a few songs, the crowd began to lose their inhibitions and danced wildly.
A glass of wine helped her lose her inhibitions and speak honestly.
The workshop encouraged participants to lose inhibitions and try new things.
Common combinations
- lose your inhibitions
- He lost his inhibitions and sang in front of everyone.
- without inhibitions
- Children often play without inhibitions.
- shed inhibitions
- She shed her inhibitions and joined the dance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- let go
- More general; it can mean to relax or stop controlling yourself, not only about shyness.
- come out of your shell
- Suggests becoming more sociable over time, rather than a sudden loss of shyness.
Opposites
Commonly confused: lose inhibitions or inhibition?
lose inhibitions vs inhibition
The noun form; losing inhibitions means removing the feeling of inhibition.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'After the icebreaker game, the students began to lose their ______ and shared personal stories.'
Choose one answer.
'Inhibitions' fits because the sentence is about becoming less shy and more open. 'Habits' and 'memories' do not mean shyness, and 'possessions' is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lose inhibitions”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.