inhibited
/ɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd
/adjective
Unable to act in a relaxed and natural way because of self-consciousness or mental restraint: I could never appear nude, I’m far too inhibited...
- Freud's inhibited, controlled nature extended to his autobiography, which concentrates almost entirely upon the development of psychoanalysis and tells us next to nothing about his personal life.
- These results are consistent with retrospective reports of infant irritability, insomnia, and colic among inhibited children.
- Facing new situations is thought to result in gradual desensitization for the inhibited child, just as facing a feared stimulus does in the treatment of phobias.
Synonyms
shy, reticent, self-conscious, reserved, diffident, bashful, coy, embarrassed, uneasy, wary, reluctant, uncomfortable, hesitant, apprehensive, nervous, insecure;
unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, subdued, withdrawn, tongue-tied;
repressed, constrained, restrained, undemonstrative
informal uptight, hung up
- keep a check on
- keep a civil tongue in one's head
- keep an account of
- keep an eye on
- keep an eye out (or open)
- keep a (or the) lid on
- keep a tight rein on
- keep at (or keep someone at)
- keep away (or keep someone away)
- keep a weather eye on
- keep back (or keep someone/thing back)
- keep body and soul together
- keep cave
- keep company with
- keep count (or a count)
- keep down
- keeper
- keepership
- keep-fit
- keep from (or keep someone from)
- keep goal
- keep going
- keep good (or bad) time
- keep house
- keeping