Meaning & use
taboo subject
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A topic that people avoid talking about because it makes them uncomfortable or is considered impolite.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a taboo subject' or 'taboo subjects'.
Patterns
- a taboo subject in something
- a taboo subject for someone
- treat something as a taboo subject
In many cultures, money is a taboo subject at dinner parties.
Death is often a taboo subject, so people change the topic when it comes up.
She raised the taboo subject of mental health at the family meeting.
Word forms
| plural | taboo subjects |
|---|
Common combinations
- a taboo subject in
- In some countries, politics is a taboo subject in the workplace.
- a taboo subject for
- For many people, salary is a taboo subject for conversation.
- treat as a taboo subject
- The school treats bullying as a taboo subject and never discusses it openly.
- break the taboo
- The documentary broke the taboo around talking about mental illness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- forbidden topic
- Stronger and more formal; suggests something is not allowed, while 'taboo subject' is about social discomfort.
- unmentionable
- Emphasizes that something should not be mentioned at all; often used for shocking or embarrassing things.
- sensitive topic
- Milder; it may simply need careful handling rather than being completely avoided.
Word family
Commonly confused: taboo subject or taboo?
taboo subject vs taboo
As a noun, 'taboo' means the prohibition itself, not the topic. A 'taboo subject' is the thing that is taboo.
Practice
In many cultures, ______ is a taboo subject at family gatherings.
Choose one answer.
'Politics' is the subject of the sentence and takes a singular verb 'is'. The other options add extra words that make the sentence ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “taboo subject”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.