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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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
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Sep. 2025
Students see the subject itself as inherently forbidding because of its abstract nature.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The central conflict is illuminated only marginally better when Elphaba’s sister Nessa (Marissa Bode), now a corrupt governor, passes a law forbidding her Munchkin prisoner, Boq (Ethan Slater), from traveling later in the movie.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
While the production design by Jordan Ferrer and the lighting from cinematographer Kira Kelly are designed to create a steadily increasing sense of unease, Tipping also wanted to be sure that the world Cameron enters wasn’t too forbidding.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 Sep. 2025
Students see the subject itself as inherently forbidding because of its abstract nature.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 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
Each shot looks like a page out of a cursed tome of twisted, postmodern fairy tales, the images forbidding and slightly abstract.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The central conflict is illuminated only marginally better when Elphaba’s sister Nessa (Marissa Bode), now a corrupt governor, passes a law forbidding her Munchkin prisoner, Boq (Ethan Slater), from traveling later in the movie.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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Humans could suddenly step into a box, perhaps hear gears grind, and then exit the box on a different floor—and even as safety features were innovated, that was terrifying.—
Jason Corso,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Madigan's character, the elderly aunt of several of the students, became a cult favorite, both terrifying and delighting audiences.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Kingpin is one of its offerings this year, an intimidating V-8 monster that makes over 800 horsepower and is blacked out.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
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The podcast is meant to do some of the bedtime planning for parents, taking an intimidating task off their plate.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Kansas City Council has approved a code change prohibiting right turns on red near schools during hours when children could be present.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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Earlier this year, Southwest Airlines implemented new restrictions on lithium batteries prohibiting them from being used while inside bags.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When the sun went down, the Santa Anas began to blow, and the fire shifted into the familiar, frightening rhythm of inevitability.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Approved by The Boss himself, the live-music and storytelling show finds Azaria slipping into his best Springsteen guise for a night of gruff tales and greatest hits.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
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The gory skit ends with the gruff older man rushing through the door to announce he’s made amends with his son, only to have his head sliced off by the flying chainsaw.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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No prohibition had been announced, but they would never be allowed to join a guild.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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In Margaret Atwood’s chilling dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the founders of the Republic of Gilead legislate a blanket prohibition on women’s employment and the seizure of their personal savings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Six families, barred from entering the home by a March state order banning visitors to long-term care facilities, say they were also kept in the dark about what was happening as the case count began to climb.—
Kevin G. Hall,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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On the final day of the tournament, the International Olympic Committee recommended banning Russian athletes from competition.—
Jeremy Herb,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As the day wears on, the crowd swells to a formidable throng.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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If host Point Loma was going to stay unbeaten and advance to the Division 1 quarterfinal with a win over Mater Dei Catholic on Friday night, Pointers head coach Ryan Price was sure his formidable defense would have a major hand in it.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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