Inhibit Someone From Doing vs. Inhibit Someone To Do
Cambridge directly documents inhibit + person + from + -ing for preventing an action, especially through nervousness or embarrassment. Other process-oriented uses exist, but person + to-infinitive is not established as the parallel complement.
Use “inhibit someone from doing something” for the documented person-action pattern; do not use “inhibit someone to do” as the equivalent complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| person is prevented or restrained from an action | inhibit + person + from + -ing | Use “inhibit someone from doing.” |
| to-infinitive after the person | inhibit + person + to do | Do not use this as the equivalent complement. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming a person whose action is restrained or prevented?
If yes: Use “inhibit + person + from + -ing.”
If no: Recast the sentence rather than using “inhibit someone to do.”
Caveat: Other senses of “inhibit” may take nouns directly; this guide is specifically about the person-plus-action pattern.
Examples
Fear inhibited her from asking a second question.
The person is restrained from an action.
The rigid schedule inhibited the team from experimenting.
“From + -ing” names the blocked action.
Nothing should inhibit users from reporting an error.
The standard person + from + -ing pattern is used.
Further guidance
Boundary
Inhibit also has non-person senses such as slowing a process or inhibiting something from doing something; keep those separate from the person-action construction.
Construction
Cambridge directly records “inhibit someone from doing something,” especially for preventing action through nervousness or embarrassment.
Decision
Use “inhibit someone from doing something” for the documented person-action pattern; do not use “inhibit someone to do” as the equivalent complement.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- inhibit someone from doing something — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press & Assessment · Cambridge construction evidence for inhibit someone from doing something