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 gruff
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
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 June 2024
For months, housing market conditions in a handful of battleground counties have been slightly less forbidding than in the U.S. overall, according to NBC News’ Home Buyer Index, which measures the relative difficulty of buying a home from one county to the next nationwide.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2024
Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Last month, the judge overseeing that case imposed a three-year injunction forbidding Google from a number of practices, such as the use of terms forcing app developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system for in-app billing.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Adjective
Slowly, the color drains out of the image and the green frontier becomes a forbidding, black-and-white expanse.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 June 2024
For months, housing market conditions in a handful of battleground counties have been slightly less forbidding than in the U.S. overall, according to NBC News’ Home Buyer Index, which measures the relative difficulty of buying a home from one county to the next nationwide.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Kennedy has been a vocal advocate for raw milk, and has criticized FDA policy forbidding interstate sales of the product.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Last month, the judge overseeing that case imposed a three-year injunction forbidding Google from a number of practices, such as the use of terms forcing app developers to use Google’s proprietary payment system for in-app billing.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 20 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
-
His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
-
For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Ashanti’s lithe voice perfectly complimented Ja’s gruff vocal tone, providing Murder Inc.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
-
The gruff men are Danny and Kyle McCray, an estranged father and son who’ve been reunited by a medical emergency.—
Elisabeth Egan,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
But former Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has pitched just five innings since 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and, even more frightening, a battle with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For many, the All Blacks are well-known for performing an intimidating pregame haka dance, a Maori ritual used to fire up the players and fans before a match.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Small breed dogs, such as Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Maltese, are probably the most eligible to cohabitate with cats because of their gentle and affectionate nature and their small size, which is less intimidating to cats.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The state lottery is an exception to Texas' gambling prohibition.—
Tasha Tsiaperas,
Axios,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The abundance of statutory prohibitions aimed at casino-style gambling further tips the scales in favor of California as a potential launch point for litigation.—
Daniel Wallach,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
JPMorgan said the stock is at an attractive entry point with lower expectations and a formidable path for growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Van Dijk and Konate have been a formidable partnership since the latter’s arrival in 2021.—
Andy Jones,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Once again, her stern words earned tepid applause from a crowd that honestly just wanted to go two hours without thinking about humanity's downward trajectory into civil, moral, and environmental oblivion.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
But Sunday’s election could mark its sternest test yet.—
Mark Sappenfield,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share