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.
British naval blockades helped defeat Napoleon, who in turn had tried to hurt British merchants by forbidding their products from entering Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
He saw no signs forbidding parking where he pulled over, and the curb was not, by all appearances, painted red, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
A government notice said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ordered releases of more than 7,300 prisoners convicted under legislation forbidding "financing of terrorism" and harbouring or arranging transport for "any terrorist group".
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
And at least one time, the government deported a noncitizen in direct contravention of a court order forbidding that deportation.
From Slate • Feb. 19, 2026
They turned and passed under the low forbidding arch.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
