taboo
/tə'bu:/ Cách viết khác : (tabu) /tə'bu:/
Definition
Noun:
- A social or cultural prohibition: A taboo is a strong social custom or rule that forbids people from doing, saying, or using something because it is considered offensive, sacred, or socially unacceptable.
- A sacred prohibition: In some cultures, especially in Polynesia and the South Pacific, a taboo is a prohibition based on the belief that something is so holy or spiritually powerful that it must not be touched or mentioned.
Adjective:
- Forbidden by social custom or law: Something described as taboo is prohibited or banned because it is considered unacceptable or offensive within a particular society or group.
- Set apart as sacred and untouchable: In specific cultural contexts, something taboo is considered so sacred that it is excluded from ordinary use or contact.
Verb:
- To forbid or prohibit: To taboo something is to officially or culturally forbid it, to place it under a ban.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- In many cultures, discussing death at the dinner table is a taboo.
- The ancient taboo prevented anyone from touching the sacred relic.
Adjective:
- That topic is completely taboo in polite conversation.
- For the islanders, the burial ground was a taboo place.
Verb:
- The council tabooed the hunting of that animal during the sacred season.
- Certain words were tabooed by the community elders.
Advanced Usage
"to break/violate a taboo": to do something that is strongly forbidden by social custom.
- The film broke a major social taboo by addressing the issue openly.
"a taboo subject": a topic that is considered too offensive, embarrassing, or dangerous to discuss publicly.
- Mental health used to be a taboo subject, but that is changing.
"taboo against (something)": a specific prohibition concerning a particular action or thing.
- There is a strong cultural taboo against eating certain types of meat.
Variants and Related Words
- Tabu: An alternative spelling of "taboo," often used in anthropological contexts.
- Tabooed (adj.): The state of having been declared forbidden.
- The tabooed forest was avoided by all the villagers.
Synonyms
- Prohibition: The act of forbidding something by authority.
- Ban: An official or legal prohibition.
- Interdiction: A formal prohibition.
- Forbidden fruit: Something that is desired because it is illegal or taboo (idiomatic).
Related Phrases
- Social stigma: A strong feeling of disapproval that society has about something, often related to taboo topics.
- Cultural restriction: A limitation imposed by the customs of a culture.
Idioms
- Out of bounds: Not to be entered or discussed; forbidden. (Similar in meaning to "taboo" as an adjective).
- Politics was out of bounds during the family gathering.
Adjective
- forbidden to profane use especially in South Pacific islands
- excluded from use or mention
- forbidden fruit
- in our house dancing and playing cards were out
- a taboo subject
Noun
- an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion
- a prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature
Verb
- declare as sacred and forbidden
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