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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Meanwhile, the windswept moors feel like something out of a classic thriller, forbidding and alluring at once. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 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
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
In the nineteen-forties, the American Federation of Musicians fought for higher royalty rates by going on strike, forbidding its members from making new commercial recordings for more than two years. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Its bumpy texture and spiral configuration impart the look of a forbidding lizard. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 Aug. 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
  • Even so, returning to college was terrifying after ongoing health crises led to academic failure.
    — Alexis Lariviere, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The lycanthropy saga, set in an English village in the 13th century, stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a man who undergoes terrifying transformations into a werewolf each full moon.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • At the peak of the Knights’ best run in program history in the late 2010s, the Acrisure Bounce House became one of the most intimidating stadiums to play in, especially at night.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Kane and colleagues found that possessing an intimidating size wouldn't guarantee a Venusian moon's survival, either.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • From the time of Bitcoin’s 2009 launch, crypto had occupied the murkier end of legal gray zones; in the eyes of CFTC regulators, crypto prediction markets, which inherited the moral and legal residue of gambling prohibition, were doubly marked.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Regulation over prohibition Haddow said the association supports state regulations that require testing, labeling and age restrictions rather than outright bans.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of prohibition
Verb
  • The Missouri Supreme Court upheld that ban earlier this year in a unanimous ruling that allowed the state to continue prohibiting the procedures.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Lovejoy leaders last week updated the zoning code for the city of roughly 13,000 people, explicitly prohibiting data centers.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of prohibiting
Adjective
  • Josh, much of the social media conversation around people seeing The Odyssey in theaters was about the frightening Other Mommy trailer playing ahead of it.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • My Broken Brain follows three young survivors through the most frightening days of their lives and the grueling journey back to independence.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • We were taught by a gruff cockney called Fred Waring, who had participated in the D-Day landings in a regiment that had fought its way across Europe towards Berlin and liberated the concentration camp at Belsen.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
  • His only hope to get home turns out to be Nick (Kenneth Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent who loves American pop culture and is really good in a fight.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruff
Noun
  • Trump’s strong reactions may relate to his recent banning of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House — a rash action that was stopped by a federal judge last week.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in those years since the banning, the GNFP audience continued to grow.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of banning
Verb
  • After the Supreme Court ruling outlawing affirmative action, civil rights groups filed a federal complaint challenging Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences.
    — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • It was modeled on a law that the Nevada state legislature passed in 2021, outlawing the use of Colorado River water on ornamental grass and commercial, government and homeowners association properties in places like Las Vegas.
    — Paul Rogers, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of outlawing

Browse Nearby Words

forbidden
forbidding
forbids
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of discreet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All