1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted
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2
as in gruff
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
Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
And if his forbidding tone wasn't enough to kill the joking mood inside the transport, the school bus blocking the road in front of them finishes the job.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Charles Hammer, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025
During the Napoleonic wars, Jefferson signed the Embargo Act of 1807, forbidding trade with France and Britain so the countries would have to respect America’s neutrality in the conflict.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
Resilience was targeting the top of the moon, a less forbidding place than the shadowy bottom.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
And if his forbidding tone wasn't enough to kill the joking mood inside the transport, the school bus blocking the road in front of them finishes the job.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Verb
Sarah entered Cuba on a family visa and met her brother in the country, cursed since 1960 — cursed for 65 years — by an embargo forbidding Cuban trade and nearly everything else with American interests.
—Charles Hammer, Kansas City Star, 27 Aug. 2025
During the Napoleonic wars, Jefferson signed the Embargo Act of 1807, forbidding trade with France and Britain so the countries would have to respect America’s neutrality in the conflict.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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The case is interrupted as Lorraine is heavily pregnant with Judy and is induced into giving birth after a terrifying vision.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The series centers around a deep-space research vessel crash-lands on Earth, bringing with it mysterious and terrifying life forms, such as the Xenomorph.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Busta also received an assist from Papoose and Joyner Lucas, all of them sharing lyrical wordplay and seamless tradeoffs as Busta swung between his trademark dichotomy of rapping to gruff bellowing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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The Old Man was short and gruff and had chin whiskers.—
Robert Easton,
Outdoor Life,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The European Union is now prohibiting the use of a key chemical ingredient in some gel nail polishes and other cosmetic products.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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The Michigan House moved forward with a vote on Tisdel's more restrictive plan, banning elementary and middle school students from using cellphones during the school day and prohibiting high school students from using cellphones in class.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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That's really frightening because people can be really cruel and that's dangerous.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For starters, the Nittany Lions play their home games at Beaver Stadium, which can be an intimidating place with seating for 106,572 fans.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
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The easier tasks are less intimidating and will help build your confidence to work on something more challenging in the future.—
Keenan Thompson,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Aleks’s grandfather lived in the Soviet Union at a time when a pseudo-prohibition was in place.—
Don Tse,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Ferguson, one of two Republican commissioners on the FTC at the time, voted against the rule, arguing that the FTC lacked the authority to issue a nationwide prohibition on a centuries-old business practice.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As part of their demands, the students demanded state and federal lawmakers pass laws banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Balance Project is lobbying their local school district to enforce their device-free policy by banning smartwatches during school.—
Charlotte Alter,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, this Jaguars pass rush is formidable; Josh Hines-Allen is no joke.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
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With the Chiefs appearing more vulnerable in a season coming off a Super Bowl trouncing, Buffalo—which opens its 2025 campaign Sunday night at home against another formidable foe, the Baltimore Ravens—is poised for a breakthrough.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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