[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/forbidding/)

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# forbidding

adjective (forbidding; more forbidding); verb form (forbid, forbids, forbade, forbidden, forbidding)

«forbidding» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Forbidding means looking unfriendly, frightening or dangerous: a forbidding castle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#m1)
2. Forbidding is the -ing form of forbid: telling someone they must not do something. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories to set a scary mood (forbidding mountains, a forbidding look), in rules and signs (a sign forbidding swimming), in Bible stories (God forbidding the fruit).

### Examples

- The castle looked dark and forbidding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x1)
- The head teacher gave us a forbidding stare. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x2)
- There is a sign forbidding dogs on the beach. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x3)
- The forbidding cliffs rose above the sea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x4)
- Mum is forbidding sweets before dinner. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x5)
- The forest seemed forbidding at night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/#x6)

### Note

Two different uses: adjective (unfriendly-looking) and verb form (not allowing). Forms of forbid: forbid, forbade (say «for-BAD»), forbidden.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «forbidding» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forbidding/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«forbidding» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/forbidding.html) on Mova free.