forbidding

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

a dark forbidding sky

forbiddingly

fər-ˈbi-diŋ-lē 

fȯr-

adverb

Synonyms

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

Examples of forbidding in a Sentence

a harsh and forbidding landscape

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

Recent Examples on the Web

With the clarifications, the White House seems already to be walking back some of the most forbidding aspects of the change, a far cry from the Administration’s language over the weekend. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Sep. 2025

Students see the subject itself as inherently forbidding because of its abstract nature. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025

The horizon is ever-present, either as a forbidding blankness or a flat, shimmering cityscape that reinforces the characters’ growing isolation. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2025

But his copy of Gorky Park, with its forbidding heft, stayed on the shelf. —Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 16 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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