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 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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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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
The hike out to it is one of San Diego County’s most famous, and most forbidding.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2026
Victor Glover described peering at the long shadows of the lunar terminator through a telephoto lens and suddenly feeling transported down to that airless, forbidding landscape and imagining himself off-road driving among jagged peaks.
—Andrew Chaikin, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
Just hearing how dangerous and forbidding K2 is can give you a chill (and the cold is part of it — even at base camp, the temperatures can reach 50 below).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
The hike out to it is one of San Diego County’s most famous, and most forbidding.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
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
Palantir has always had a secretive reputation, forbidding employees from speaking to the press and requiring alumni to sign non-disparagement agreements.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2026
Victor Glover described peering at the long shadows of the lunar terminator through a telephoto lens and suddenly feeling transported down to that airless, forbidding landscape and imagining himself off-road driving among jagged peaks.
—Andrew Chaikin, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette star as the main couple, Bear and Nikki, who fall victim to the One Wish Willow, a wish-granting toy with terrifying results.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Restitution can be a very intimidating process, for which there are very few ways to find out where to start, who to talk to.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
-
His matchups this week aren’t too intimidating.—
Andy Behrens,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
According to the district attorney’s office, children ages 11 to 14 accounted for nearly 62% of e-motorcycle crashes statewide despite California law prohibiting riders under 16 from operating e-motorcycles.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
-
The Cannes Film Festival updated its dress code in 2025, prohibiting guests from showing nudity or wearing voluminous outfits on the red carpet.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Such obsession can be a frightening emotion both for the person experiencing it and for the target.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Even more frightening is a judge apologizing to an assassin who risked the lives of 2,000 people while attempting to assassinate the president and his cabinet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the grizzled former Man in Black and man-who-failed-to-ground-Maverick isn’t known for playing the type of gruff ol’ cowpoke who’s about to break into song.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
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The son of a Scottish immigrant, McCluskie had a reputation as a political street fighter and his gruff style complemented Becerra’s more measured, cerebral approach.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Italy banned the farming, breeding and killing of animals for fur production beginning in 2022, joining a growing number of European countries that have enacted similar prohibitions or phase-outs.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
-
His office has since argued that surrogacy violates the 13th Amendment’s prohibition on slavery, according to a lawyer representing the fathers who commissioned the surrogate.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Public libraries in 2025 navigated a year that saw the challenging, and banning of, thousands of books, stiffer budgetary limits and federal threats to funding.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
This gets back to the partisan gerrymandering issue, which Congress, of course, could pass a law tomorrow banning partisan gerrymandering.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rossellini plays the formidable Madame de Noailles, an old-school aristocrat devoted to Marie Antoinette and haunted by a lost love.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Vegas will remain formidable because of its eternal win-now mandate.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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