Word
forbidding
Phoneticsfor·bid·ding, stress on the second syllable
US/fɝˈbɪdɪŋ/
UK/fəbˈɪdɪŋ/
Definitions
01threatening or unfriendly
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. looking dangerous, unfriendly, or scary in a way that makes you want to stay away.
adj. appearing hostile, threatening, or stern; possessing an aspect that discourages approach or intimacy.
“The high stone walls and dark windows gave the old castle a forbidding look.”
“The mountain's north face presented a forbidding wall of ice and jagged rock that had turned back even the most experienced climbers.”
02prohibiting something
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. the act of telling someone they are not allowed to do something.
v. the present participle of 'forbid', used to indicate the act of prohibiting or refusing to allow an action.
“The school is forbidding students from using their phones during the lunch break.”
“By forbidding any further discussion on the matter, the chairman effectively silenced the dissenting voices within the committee.”
Usage
This is the -ing form of the verb 'forbid'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03the act of prohibition
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Law Formal
n. the act of making a rule that stops people from doing something.
n. the act of issuing a prohibition or the state of being forbidden.
“The forbidding of certain books in the library caused a huge public argument.”
“The official forbidding of trade between the two nations led to a sharp increase in black-market activity along the border.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“I heard Strawberry Fields Forever and it just melted me.”
But for all his creativity and spiritual questing, his reputation is as forbidding as his basslines.” “Creative Assembly appears well placed to repeat the trick with Alien: Isolation 2’s forbidding colony world, home to a remote Weyland-Yutani outpost, Kurosaki Station.” Etymology
By surface analysis, forbid + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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