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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Each shot looks like a page out of a cursed tome of twisted, postmodern fairy tales, the images forbidding and slightly abstract.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
The silent close-ups of the people in the vehicle are subtly unsettling, while all around them rolls a beautiful, forbidding landscape.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
Law’s language remains opaque, its institutions foreign and forbidding, and its cost an insurmountable barrier for most to engage counsel when it is desperately needed.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Each shot looks like a page out of a cursed tome of twisted, postmodern fairy tales, the images forbidding and slightly abstract.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
There has been some discussion in the Texas Legislature to ban masks, especially after concerns about violent incidents linked to protests related to the Israel-Hamas war, but there are no laws in Texas forbidding them at protests.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
The silent close-ups of the people in the vehicle are subtly unsettling, while all around them rolls a beautiful, forbidding landscape.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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More: Ukraine drone attack shows familiar-looking drones can be terrifying weapons How does the Pentagon, which spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on defense, have such a vulnerability?—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Everyone's fighting power is so terrifying, but the only thing missing is the XBOX robe...—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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While Hornets fans were not as gruff as New York Knicks or Boston Celtics supporters, Charlotte pro basketball fans were among the leaders who posted a specific swear word.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
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Paul is lovable but gruff, while Jimmy is lost and a bit broken after having lost his wife in a drunk driving accident.—
Hedy Phillips,
People.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Smith, who is now winding down both his cases against the president-elect due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president, has not provided any details about the contents of his report.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2025
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That has prompted states including Colorado, New York and California to enact legislation prohibiting medical debt from being included on residents' credit reports or factored into their credit scores.—
Noam Levey,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Critics of the administration’s tactics, including former Homeland Security officials, said the White House’s strategy boils down to frightening immigrants into leaving on their own.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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The frightening incident unfolded aboard Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on June 8.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Hristo Stoichkov played with an intimidating edge that could both win games and cross an unforgivable line.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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Judith Collins, the committee chair, said the lawmakers’ behavior was egregious, disruptive, and potentially intimidating.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Christian Science Monitor,
5 June 2025
Noun
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The city has argued in court that the state prohibition on voter ID requirements doesn’t explicitly apply to city elections that aren’t consolidated with statewide elections.—
Michael Slaten,
Oc Register,
29 May 2025
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All charitable activity was halted, a prohibition that has not been lifted.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Everything points to the fact that Karolína’s exceptional talent has caught the attention of the formidable and much admired choirmaster.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 June 2025
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Sinha’s strategic interventions have substantially scaled up businesses, powering a formidable sales pipeline by assisting the company in landing enterprise-level engagements.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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It’s submerged 11 to 15 feet deep, with its stern facing the shore.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 June 2025
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Tonight: Explore! TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ★★★ Avoid arguments with others today, which might arise with Mercury in your House of Communications at odds with stern Saturn.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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