1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intimidating
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
told us in a forbidding voice to stop calling him by that name
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as in prohibiting
the act of ordering that something not be done or used
the landlord's forbidding of loud music after 10:00 p.m.
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as in banning
to order not to do or use or to be done or used
smoking is forbidden throughout the building we forbid you to see him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbidding
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Despite its forbidding appearance, the building is now a cultural centre.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Dec. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
That was despite a Spanish edict forbidding Pueblo people to possess horses.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
The hike out to it is one of San Diego County’s most famous, and most forbidding.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Despite its forbidding appearance, the building is now a cultural centre.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Dec. 2025
Noun
But Cheney rarely tried to combat the image painted by critics and comedians of him as a dour partisan, dark and forbidding.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
There appears to be no law expressly forbidding the use of public funds to influence voters.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
That was despite a Spanish edict forbidding Pueblo people to possess horses.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
-
The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As played by John Lithgow, Dahl is an intimidating physical presence, and, as if on the playground, uses this looming quality, along with a facility for language, to intimidate anyone around him.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
As trendy as the weight room might be these days, the world of barbells and dumbbells can be a pretty intimidating place.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
SELF,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There is no code prohibiting masks or obscuring costumes at protests in Wisconsin.—
Caden Perry,
jsonline.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
After a review, it was decided that Raddysh was knocked to the ice and into the crease, prohibiting Vasilevskiy from a possible save.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As Liborio, an orphan who risked his life to cross the border and ended up living in the attic of a bookstore thanks to the kindness of the gruff owner, Chief (Eddie Marsan), the actor plays a narrator who consistently breaks the fourth wall.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
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As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the state level, a bill was passed in the Missouri House that would mirror the federal prohibition.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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But the state’s high court rejected that argument in a 4-3 decision, concluding there was no explicit prohibition against the Legislature doing redistricting more often.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The country’s then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, even went as far as issuing a fatwa, or legal ruling under Islamic law, banning them.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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Beginning in 2025, parents planned their exits from states banning health care for their children.—
Tracy Baim,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yahoo will be competing against a familiar foil in Google, which remains the same formidable force that spelled the company's demise 20 years ago and has been progressively layering more AI into its search engine with its Gemini technology.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Then finding the players who can execute them has made UConn the sport’s most formidable force.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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