forbidding 1 of 3

adjective

fər-ˈbi-diŋ How to pronounce forbidding (audio)
Definition of forbiddingnext
1
as in terrifying
causing fear a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted

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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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forbidding

2 of 3

noun

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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forbidding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of forbid
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forbidding
Adjective
Al enthusiastically pointed out 14th-century Doune Castle, a forbidding pile of stones that today is less known as a royal retreat for Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie than as a popular movie and TV setting. — Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 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
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
Anyone attempting to think seriously about Elon Musk is confronted with a forbidding cognitive dissonance. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 The parliament in England created laws against Quakers, forbidding them to worship freely, charging them with punishments for refusing to take oaths or refusing to remove their hats. — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
  1. terrifying
  2. intimidating
  3. prohibition
  4. prohibiting
  5. frightening
  6. gruff
  7. banning
  8. outlawing
Adjective
  • Pinnock, in particular, is at his best here, showcasing a diabolical cruelty and terrifying manipulation, elevating the story and the show to a different level.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • Here's a selection of spectacular photos of the July Buck Moon 2026 captured alongside gorgeous natural landscapes, terrifying wildfires and stunning cityscapes from around the world.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The lower gravity might make that somewhat less intimidating, but the waves will also move more slowly as well, feeling downright eerie compared with Earth’s.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 31 July 2026
  • The design may also feel less intimidating than a rigid robotic frame.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • SpaceX insiders were barred from selling in the public offering in June but that prohibition begins to ease on Thursday when more than 900,000 shares are released for trading, more than doubling the amount currently available for trading.
    — Bernard Condon, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • There's also a curriculum framework and prohibitions on physical and emotional abuse of children.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Verb
  • Judge William Sullivan impounded the call, prohibiting the press from recording or broadcasting the audio.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But now, a sign posted at the entrance of the beach walkway is prohibiting just that.
    — Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of prohibiting
Adjective
  • Rob remembers the first two days in the hospital as frightening and uncertain.
    — Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Chris Hemsworth's latest family vacation took a frightening turn when the actor found himself aboard a small plane caught in the middle of a lightning storm.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • Matt Damon plays Odysseus as a gruff, practical tactician, rather than an energetically inventive and morally dubious schemer.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of gruff
Noun
  • Rescues during holidays have declined in recent years, owing to the prohibition of alcohol on Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July, along with the banning of diving along the Clay Banks, Nunez said.
    — Reeti Malhotra July 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • The talk was organized by local synagogues and the Chattanooga Jewish Federation in response to the banning of the novel by a nearby Tennessee school district a month prior.
    — SPIN Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026
Definition of banning
Verb
  • North Carolina's legislature also passed a bill outlawing public camping and allowing any resident or business owner to sue the state if an encampment was not cleared within five business days.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 21 July 2026
  • The legislation fails to address the property rights of the owners of about 200 horses and the 68 medallions as well as the iffy legal question of outlawing what not only has been a legal trade, but one formally licensed and sanctioned by the city.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of outlawing

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Cite this Entry

“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on forbidding

Nglish: Translation of forbidding for Spanish Speakers

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