taboo
adjective
, ta-\
Definition of taboo
(Entry 1 of 3)
taboo
nounDefinition of taboo (Entry 2 of 3)
taboo
verbDefinition of taboo (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for taboo
Synonyms: Adjective
banned, barred, forbidden, impermissible, interdicted, outlawed, prohibited, proscribed, verboten
Antonyms: Adjective
allowable, permissible, permissive, sufferable
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Examples of taboo in a Sentence
Adjective
Sex is a taboo subject for many people. In this company, dating a coworker is considered taboo.Noun
religious taboos against drinking alcohol Marrying a close relative is a taboo in many cultures.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The effect of the lighthearted sequence is not only to take a swipe at the feminine-hygiene industrial complex, but to dismiss the notion that discussion of menstruation should be taboo. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, "A little earnest absurdism about bodily functions goes a long way in the Welders’ ‘LadyM’," 16 July 2019 All these assessments, while generally accurate, were taboo in public Mexican discourse. — Tracy Wilkinson, latimes.com, "Trump's strong reaction to leak of British memos puts a chill on diplomacy," 11 July 2019 Tuesdays' historic ruling is win for LGBTQ activists and supporters in a country -- and region -- where homosexuality remains largely taboo. — Kara Fox, CNN, "Botswana scraps gay sex laws in big victory for LGBTQ rights in Africa," 11 June 2019 Beyond these factors, though, is an underlying cause that may contribute to many of the things our society thinks of as taboo or bad: fear of the unknown. — Sara Radin, Teen Vogue, "Taking Mental Health Medication Shouldn't Be Shameful," 24 May 2019 Aster is a longtime fan of the horror genre and kicked off his career with a controversial short film called The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, in which a son develops a taboo incestuous relationship with this father. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Midsommar is a slasher film with artsy ambitions that doesn’t quite work," 4 July 2019 Powell was sacked the next day, leaving politics for good and marking such words as eternally taboo in British politics. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "The Death of Taboo," 27 June 2019 By voicing these feelings, which can be taboo to speak out loud, men supposedly developed compassion for women, and vice versa. — Vanessa Grigoriadis, New York Times, "The ‘Sex Cult’ That Preached Empowerment," 30 May 2018 With more states legalizing gambling and more teams incorporating it into the game, gambling will be less taboo in professional sports. — Jenna Ortiz, azcentral, "How sports betting is finding its way into arenas," 12 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
What appealed to you about tackling that taboo subject? — Fortune, "Inside Danny Trejo’s Bizarre Odyssey From Ex-Con Character Actor to Taco Mogul," 29 July 2019 What grounds the series is a classic love story: the bond between Daniel (the always wonderful Russell Tovey) and Viktor (Maxim Baldry), a taboo attraction that deepens into something lasting. — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, "“Years and Years” Forces Us Into the Future," 22 July 2019 Despite the progress made in our culture and advertising, there's still one type of hair that's seen as taboo: pubic hair. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, "Billie’s New Campaign Is the First Razor Ad to Actually Show Pubic Hair," 26 June 2019 These firms took the lead over large, established Indian production houses and portrayed lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders, which are considered taboo. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "A Mumbai-based startup may soon create India’s answer to The Simpsons," 25 June 2019 While Ryan O’Reilly signed the last offer sheet six years ago, there’s no longer a taboo attached to going after another team’s restricted free agent. — Dan Falkenheim, SI.com, "Restricted Free Agents Most Likely to Sign Elsewhere This Offseason," 19 June 2019 The taboo and shame surrounding non-consensual experiences coupled with the physical and mental trauma many survivors experience can cause severe health problems for years to come. — Natasha Bhuyan, SELF, "If I Don’t Talk to My Patients About Consent, Who Will?," 5 June 2019 That longstanding taboo, however, is now disappearing. — Fox News, "Sweden's most significant election in years, at a glance," 6 Sep. 2018 The taboo against book-burning was highlighted when, not long after, the United States experienced its own period of fear about books that didn’t fit in. — Lily Rothman, Time, "The Real History Behind Book Burning and Fahrenheit 451," 18 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'taboo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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