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
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.
—Noun
But Cheney rarely tried to combat the image painted by critics and comedians of him as a dour partisan, dark and forbidding.
—Verb
Each shot looks like a page out of a cursed tome of twisted, postmodern fairy tales, the images forbidding and slightly abstract.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
-
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.—
-
Madigan's character, the elderly aunt of several of the students, became a cult favorite, both terrifying and delighting audiences.—
Adjective
-
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Orange is a reliable run-stuffer with elite strength, and would be an intimidating presence in the middle of any defense.—
-
However, the gym can be both costly and intimidating, and some people just simply don’t have the time due to work or travel schedules.—
Verb
-
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the early polling front-runner, cited her history of battling the president in her first term, including a 2018 order prohibiting the city’s jail from accepting new detainees from federal immigration agents.—
-
In 2010, more than 60% of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the drawing of district boundaries to unfairly favor one political party in a process known as gerrymandering.—
Adjective
-
Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
-
When the sun went down, the Santa Anas began to blow, and the fire shifted into the familiar, frightening rhythm of inevitability.—
Adjective
-
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.—
-
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.—
Noun
-
No prohibition had been announced, but they would never be allowed to join a guild.—
-
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.—
Verb
-
In addition to West Virginia, six other states have targeted food dyes with new laws or executive orders, requiring warning labels on food with certain dyes or banning the sale of such products in schools.—
-
Last year, the court upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors — a ruling with repercussions across the country.—
Adjective
-
The service Aside from a formidable restaurant and spa, the service sets this hotel apart from other country boutiques in Sicily.—
-
The hardy parasite is also highly attuned to threats and responds with formidable defense mechanisms — prolonging a treatment process that’s already months to years long and often fraught with other hurdles and pain.—
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share