1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbidding
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
California’s booming economy is one of the world’s largest, but a peek behind the curtain exposes the forbidding reality of a statewide job market that is ranked as one of the nation’s worst.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
Reams of barbed wire gathered from the fields around Penpont were fashioned into a mesh curtain whose ends wrapped around two columns at the top of the museum’s grand staircase; the result was both alluring and forbidding.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
California’s booming economy is one of the world’s largest, but a peek behind the curtain exposes the forbidding reality of a statewide job market that is ranked as one of the nation’s worst.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
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
The play begins with a forbidding thumping on a glass window outside a bare bones upstairs apartment where B lives a subsistence-level life with his mother.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
OpenAI leaned into the curious habit, choosing to highlight the goblin-forbidding prompt in a tweet.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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Inside the building, a terrifying hourslong ordeal was just beginning for those who couldn’t get out.—
Maria Aguilar Prieto,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Some things in life are fundamentally different in ways that no one ever realizes ahead of time, and the amazing feeling of G-forces in my butt, very like flying on the ground, was at once a 10/10 gratifying and terrifying experience.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Bring Something to Share In some soft socializing settings, bringing something to share can also foster a sense of connection, and small acts of participation may help make socializing feel less intimidating and more collaborative.—
Kate Donovan,
Martha Stewart,
28 May 2026
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When safety is embedded into the workplace culture, changing regulations become less intimidating because the organization is already oriented around protecting people.—
John F. McQuillan,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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The Treasury Department has asserted that those special coins fall outside the prohibition on living presidents appearing on money.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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But commemorative coins are exempt from the prohibition.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The five-judge panel also upheld a 10-year ban prohibiting LaPierre from serving as an officer or director of the NRA, rejecting his contention that the restriction violated his First Amendment rights.—
Chloe Atkins,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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They are also now ordered to comply with a permanent injunction prohibiting future violations of California laws governing hazardous and medical waste and the protection of confidential medical information.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The frightening encounter began several years ago when her daughter texted her from school complaining of pain just above her belly button.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Vampires, deadly disasters, and creeps are among those who help these frightening flicks scare the hell out of audiences.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Platner, a gruff 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins with a platform of economic populism, universal health care, labor protections, and anti-interventionism.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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With his gruff voice, beard and sweatshirts-instead-of-suits, Platner cuts the figure of a blue-collar Mainer.—
Caroline McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The reforms led to the creation of the forward pass and the banning of dangerous formations.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Magyar’s focus on the economy means reform of Hungary’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which currently includes the banning of Pride marches and fines for promoting homosexuality in schools, may not be a priority.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Players will still be able to cover their mouths when conversing normally, but outlawing the act during disagreements is designed to remove plausible deniability for any player accused of making discriminatory remarks while their mouth is obscured.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Legal experts say the latest ruling is different, functionally outlawing cash bail in most cases, and strictly capping the amount in others.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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