Meaning & use
lower inhibitions
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
To make someone feel less shy or self-conscious, so they are more willing to do things they would normally avoid.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'lower someone's inhibitions'. The object is often a possessive: 'lower your inhibitions'.
Patterns
- lower someone's inhibitions
- lower your inhibitions
- something lowers inhibitions
A few drinks can lower your inhibitions and make you say things you regret.
The warm, friendly atmosphere lowered everyone's inhibitions.
Music and dancing often lower inhibitions at social events.
phrasetransitive
To reduce the natural shyness or restraint that stops a person from acting freely.
Grammar: Used with a possessive before 'inhibitions': 'lower his inhibitions', 'lower their inhibitions'.
Patterns
- lower his/her/their inhibitions
- lower inhibitions in someone
The workshop aimed to lower inhibitions so people could share ideas openly.
Alcohol is known to lower inhibitions, which can lead to risky behavior.
She found that singing in a group lowered her inhibitions.
Common combinations
- lower someone's inhibitions
- The drug is said to lower patients' inhibitions.
- alcohol lowers inhibitions
- Everyone knows that alcohol lowers inhibitions.
- lower your inhibitions
- Try to lower your inhibitions and enjoy the party.
- lower inhibitions about something
- The discussion lowered inhibitions about talking openly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relax someone
- Focuses on making someone calm and comfortable; 'lower inhibitions' specifically means reducing self-consciousness so they act more freely.
- loosen someone up
- Informal; means to make someone more relaxed and talkative, often before a performance. 'Lower inhibitions' is more neutral and can be negative.
Opposites
Word family
- inhibition noun
- A feeling that makes you shy or unable to act naturally.
- inhibited adjective
- Shy and unable to relax or act freely.
- uninhibited adjective
- Acting freely without shyness or restraint.
Commonly confused: lower inhibitions or lower your voice?
lower inhibitions vs lower your voice
Means to speak more quietly; 'lower your inhibitions' is about feeling less shy, not about volume.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'lower inhibitions' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Lower inhibitions among a group' is the natural pattern. 'Of' is possible but less common; 'for' and 'at' do not fit the meaning of reducing shyness in a group.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lower inhibitions”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.