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
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
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
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025
Despite its forbidding appearance, the building is now a cultural centre.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Dec. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
Generally speaking, courts have ruled against people who violate a religious-neutral law while practicing their religion, including a notable 1990 case that found a man’s religious peyote use could still be penalized under an Oregon law forbidding it.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
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
Despite its forbidding appearance, the building is now a cultural centre.
—James Medd, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 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
On a campy and subversive new album featuring Bladee, the Ukrainian black metal artist aspires to make the notoriously forbidding genre a little warmer.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
Generally speaking, courts have ruled against people who violate a religious-neutral law while practicing their religion, including a notable 1990 case that found a man’s religious peyote use could still be penalized under an Oregon law forbidding it.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
-
Some of his acts are dangerous or terrifying.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a performance — a terrifying moment that could have ended her career.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The presence of guns and military personnel could create an intimidating atmosphere during elections, Chatterjay said.—
Gary Fields,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Ted Danson recalled an intimidating first encounter with former President Bill Clinton and his Secret Service detail during an early date with his now-wife, Mary Steenburgen.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit filed in Sangamon claims the YNOT after-school camp in Chatham was built in violation of safety codes prohibiting permanent youth camps from being located within 100 feet of a highway.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Those higher costs, Fairweather noted, are prohibiting young adults from building up savings to afford an eventual down payment on a home.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Forget about sonic or other frightening devices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Leslie and her gruff-but-caring, staunch Libertarian boss Ron Swanson (the incomparable Nick Offerman) became symbols of bygone bipartisanship, not to mention endless memes.—
Jennifer Armstrong,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
-
And Zendaya, as to be expected, really, is fantastic, slipping effortlessly under the skin of the gruff addict in recovery, trying to claw her way out of an increasingly deep hole.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The prop bet prohibition was removed, in part, because of the fiscal impact, Ball said.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But as Mackintosh persuasively illustrates, the familiar emotions of jealousy, infatuation and eventually indifference — these persist and can flourish in any relationship, however free of prohibition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many colleges today have yet to integrate AI into learning, with professors often outright banning use of the technology in the classroom.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Democrats have refused to fund ICE and Border Patrol unless Republicans agree to major immigration enforcement reforms, such as requiring federal officers to obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes and banning officers from wearing masks.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Stretching up to 62 feet long, the ancient predator dwarfed modern giant squid and may have rivaled some of the most formidable hunters of the Cretaceous oceans.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
