Definitions
01social prohibition
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a rule or custom that stops people from doing or talking about something because it is seen as wrong or embarrassing.
n. a social or cultural prohibition resulting from custom or emotional aversion, often governing behaviour or speech deemed offensive.
Español:tabú
“In many cultures, asking someone about their salary is a social taboo.”
“The documentary explores how various social taboos regarding mental health have shifted significantly over the last few decades.”
Usage
Often used with the verb 'break' or 'violate'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02sacred ban
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Religion Formal
n. something that is forbidden because it is considered very holy or sacred.
n. a prohibition based on the sacred or consecrated status of an object, person, or place, rendering it untouchable or unmentionable.
“The tribe has a strict taboo against entering the ancient forest.”
“Anthropologists studied the complex religious taboos that governed who could handle the ceremonial relics during the festival.”
Teaching tip
This sense is more technical and academic; in everyday English, 'taboo' usually refers to social awkwardness rather than religious law.
Synonyms
03forbidden
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. describes something that you must not do or talk about because of social rules.
adj. proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable; forbidden from use, approach, or mention.
“Politics and religion were once considered taboo subjects at the dinner table.”
“The author gained fame by writing about taboo topics that most mainstream publishers were too afraid to touch at the time.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04to forbid
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Technical
v. to officially forbid something or mark it as something that people should avoid.
v. to place under a taboo; to prohibit or forbid by social or religious authority.
“The council decided to taboo any further discussion of the controversial project.”
“Certain traditional societies taboo the naming of the deceased for a specific period following the funeral rites.”
Usage
This verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Real-World Examples
“She says "we don't really talk about" gynaecological health as a society so there is a taboo around speaking about symptoms.” “He touches on some questions that feel taboo within this community, such as why middle-class black Britons tend to date white people.” Etymology
Borrowed from Tongan tapu (“prohibited, sacred”), from Proto-Polynesian tapu, from Proto-Oceanic tabu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu. Doublet of kapu. First attested in c. 1777. The p in the Tongan source was misheard as b.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/taboo
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0