Selective inhibitors of enzyme‐catalyzed reactions are widely used in both biochemical and medical science. The inhibitor may be used to block either a single enzyme or a metabolic pathway. The utility of an enzyme inhibitor as a mechanistic probe or a therapeutic agent will depend, in part, on the potency of the inhibitor and its specificity toward its target enzyme. These properties will, in turn, depend on the number and type of interactions the inhibitor makes with the enzyme and the overall mode of inhibition. Here we provide a concise overview of the forces involved in inhibitor binding, and a brief summary of the treatment of enzyme kinetic data. Enzyme inhibitors have been divided into two groups, reversible and irreversible, based on whether the inhibitor binds covalently to its target enzyme. Within these groups inhibitors have been classified on the basis of kinetics, structure, and mechanism. Examples are provided in all cases and, where possible, these are of inhibitors possessing therapeutic interest. The criteria for inclusion in each class of inhibitor are described, as well as the kinetic implications, with particular reference to the specificity of the inhibition. Treatment of the examples includes discussion of the design aspects and, if appropriate, a historical perspective that demonstrates the development of a rational approach to inhibitor design.