1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dark, forbidding house, that is reputed to be haunted
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2
as in gruff
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
Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Seen from below on a day of lowering clouds, the town can still seem a forbidding place, though inside the gates, floral window boxes and the lines of laundry that stretch across narrow lanes like festive banners lighten the fortress mood.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
The silent close-ups of the people in the vehicle are subtly unsettling, while all around them rolls a beautiful, forbidding landscape.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
And if his forbidding tone wasn't enough to kill the joking mood inside the transport, the school bus blocking the road in front of them finishes the job.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Seen from below on a day of lowering clouds, the town can still seem a forbidding place, though inside the gates, floral window boxes and the lines of laundry that stretch across narrow lanes like festive banners lighten the fortress mood.
—Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
There has been some discussion in the Texas Legislature to ban masks, especially after concerns about violent incidents linked to protests related to the Israel-Hamas war, but there are no laws in Texas forbidding them at protests.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
The silent close-ups of the people in the vehicle are subtly unsettling, while all around them rolls a beautiful, forbidding landscape.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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In one of the film's most surprising sequences, his character golfs the best game of his life during a terrifying storm, misses a putt, curses God, and gets struck by lightning.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
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In the meantime, Brandy has been reflecting on the terrifying experience.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
People.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Bill Pogue’s family and friends knew him as a thoughtful, deeply sensitive man, despite his reputation as a gruff, stern, wildlife officer.—
Jim Zumbo,
Outdoor Life,
17 July 2025
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Who leaves us echoes — gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable — half legend, half lullaby.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Smith, who is now winding down both his cases against the president-elect due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president, has not provided any details about the contents of his report.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
8 Jan. 2025
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That has prompted states including Colorado, New York and California to enact legislation prohibiting medical debt from being included on residents' credit reports or factored into their credit scores.—
Noam Levey,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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One of the most effectively frightening gags in the movie is little more than an actor in ghoulish makeup tunneling under a bedsheet.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
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And frightening, even to the leaders around Xi Jinping in Beijing.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Recently, Altra added low drop shoes to its offerings, which can be less intimidating that flat, zero-drop shoes for beginners.—
Lauren Wingenroth,
SELF,
25 July 2025
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The library’s glorious 1911 Beaux Arts building on Fifth Avenue, while free and open to the public, is physically intimidating—cold in its marble grandeur, confusing in its labyrinthine layout.—
Brian Schaefer
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
Noun
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The act also outlines requirements and prohibitions for companies conducting business in Texas or producing a product or service consumed by Texas residents.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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While many changes to Medicaid are scheduled to take effect in the coming years, one immediate effect is a one-year prohibition on Medicaid funding for reproductive health care providers that perform abortions.—
Dené K. Dryden,
Twin Cities,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The bullpen, led by closer Edwin Díaz, looks formidable.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Minnesota Twins – Faced with formidable financial worries, the former home of Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Rod Carew, and Jim Kaat spent the deadline dumping salaries.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But she and the remaining Storm family members are swept up into an inheritance game – her father’s last wish, organized by her father’s stern, handsome right-hand man.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 July 2025
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John Doman, a seasoned TV actor whose work has included guest arcs on ER and Oz, got his first long-term gig with his role as the stern Deputy Rawls on The Wire.—
Derek Lawrence,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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