forbidding
Americanadjective
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grim; unfriendly; hostile; sinister.
his forbidding countenance.
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dangerous; threatening.
forbidding clouds; forbidding cliffs.
adjective
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hostile or unfriendly
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dangerous or ominous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of forbidding
Explanation
Anything that's forbidding is a little menacing, daunting, or even frightening. It's hard enough starting at a new school, much less one in a huge, grim, forbidding building. Things that loom high above you, dark and cold, are often described with this adjective. Think of the forbidding trees lining a spooky path at night, or your stern, forbidding math teacher, silently frowning down at the class with his arms crossed. Forbidding comes from forbid, "refuse to allow," and its Old English root meaning "command against."
Vocabulary lists containing forbidding
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But “The Grapes of Wrath” and “East of Eden”—the latter of which Zoe Kazan has now adapted into a thoroughly absorbing series with an astonishing Florence Pugh—are forbidding tomes, for students and teachers alike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
F1 drivers' contracts usually have clauses in them forbidding them from doing 'dangerous sports', such as skiing or scuba diving, although not every driver's contract is the same.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Daniels isn’t pleased, informing LSU through his attorney that he “feels profoundly disrespected” and forbidding the school to use his name, image and likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
If your niece’s mother lives there rent-free, the trustee should be comfortable that doing so benefits your niece and there should be no rules forbidding it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The trail maintainers in Maine have a certain hale devotion to seeking out the rockiest climbs and most forbidding slopes, and of these Maine has a breathtaking plenitude.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
