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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of forbidding
Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 6 June 2024
Still, the pathway is tricky at best, since San Jose must confront the forbidding reality of a $55 million budget shortfall in the coming weeks and months.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Erica Cheng, Chron, 10 Oct. 2024
California has its own state law forbidding the sale of such gun kits, but state attorneys said the state ban would not be as effective if the federal regulation were voided.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for forbidding 
Adjective
The families that make the forbidding journey to Dadaab, one of the world’s largest refugee camps, see it as a transition or gateway to something better, even though most will go on to live their whole lives there.
—Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 6 June 2024
Still, the pathway is tricky at best, since San Jose must confront the forbidding reality of a $55 million budget shortfall in the coming weeks and months.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Verb
In August, popular local chain Barnaby’s Cafe was accused of cutting servers’ wages in half, even forbidding employees from discussing the cut with customers.
—Erica Cheng, Chron, 10 Oct. 2024
California has its own state law forbidding the sale of such gun kits, but state attorneys said the state ban would not be as effective if the federal regulation were voided.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for forbidding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forbidding
Adjective
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Winters — who was so terrifying in Heroes of the Fourth Turning and who revealed a messy vulnerability behind Kerry Castellabate’s hard bangs and structured suits on Succession — is a pro at tough, slick surfaces with tangles of insecurity underneath.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Perusing the store’s shelves, there’s the usual lineup of Route 66 merch alongside a host of shirts bearing new and terrifying puns.Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The dynamic between Callum and tracker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), meanwhile, is your classic buddy-cop back-and-forth, with the gruff Callum slowly warming to the disreputable criminal he’s forced to partner up with when Santa gets kidnapped two days before Christmas.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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Keaton dove into the part, adjusting his posture and affecting a gruff voice with a hint of New York–ese.Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Earlier this year, the Missouri Legislature passed laws prohibiting the operation of three sludge lagoons in Newton, McDonald and Randolph counties.Randal Seyler, arkansasonline.com, 19 Oct. 2024
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Italian lawmakers banned families from going abroad to have a baby through surrogacy, effectively prohibiting LGBTQ+ couples from becoming biological parents.Samantha Riedel, Them, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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For example, people often dodge screenings and diagnostic tests to avoid the frightening possibility of discovering cancer.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
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Demi Moore is sharing scary photos of a frightening side of her character in the body horror movie The Substance.Tim Lammers, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In-office treatments have been around for a while, but innovations in at-home hair removal devices make the process far less intimidating and costly for those seeking longer-term results beyond what an electric shaver can provide.Iman Balagam, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024
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Libby also often hiked the Monon High Bridge trail and was never scared to cross the bridge, which is famous and intimidating for its height and the big gaps between the wooden steps.Jordan Smith, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
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That prohibition did not explicitly cover online sales, but the city of San Diego is one of a number of local governments that adopted laws to eliminate any potential loophole.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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There is no prohibition in statute of law that would keep a county from keeping their registrar's office open on the weekend to collect absentee ballots.Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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While Malloy's candidacy represents a clear challenge to Sanders' decades-long dominance in Vermont politics, the senator's enduring popularity and political influence remain formidable.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Saudi Arabia and the UAE could collaborate, turning the Gulf region into a formidable hydrogen production and export hub.Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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And in Pennsylvania the Philadelphia district attorney issued a stern warning.Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
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Where once there was stern, pensive faces, now there were smiles, heads tilted back.Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near forbidding
Cite this Entry
“Forbidding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forbidding. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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