forbidding

1 of 2

adjective

for·​bid·​ding fər-ˈbi-diŋ 

fȯr-

1

: such as to make approach or passage difficult or impossible

forbidding walls

2

: disagreeable, repellent

a forbidding task

3

: grim, menacing entry 1

a dark forbidding sky

forbiddingly

fər-ˈbi-diŋ-lē 

fȯr-

adverb

forbidding

2 of 2

present participle of forbid entry 1

Synonyms of forbidding

Adjective

• terrifying
• frightening
• formidable
• scary
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of forbidding in a Sentence

Adjective

a harsh and forbidding landscape

a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The west Sonoma coast is, by and large, a forbidding place, even for grapes. — Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

For about two decades, the Darién Gap, a forbidding, roadless rainforest on the border of Panama and Colombia, represented the geographic border of the screwworms’ reach. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 June 2026

His prose is equally forbidding—dense and abstract, in the long tradition of German philosophy. — Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026

Meanwhile, the windswept moors feel like something out of a classic thriller, forbidding and alluring at once. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for forbidding

• bidding
• kidding
• ridding
• skidding

Kids Definition

forbidding

adjective

: tending to frighten or discourage

a dark forbidding sky

forbiddingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb