From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
forbidding
adj 1: harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; "a
dour, self-sacrificing life"; "a forbidding scowl"; "a
grim man loving duty more than humanity"; "undoubtedly
the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"-
J.M.Barrie [syn: dour, grim]
2: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments; "a
baleful look"; "forbidding thunderclouds"; "his tone
became menacing"; "ominous rumblings of discontent";
"sinister storm clouds"; "a sinister smile"; "his
threatening behavior"; "ugly black clouds"; "the situation
became ugly" [syn: baleful, menacing, minacious,
minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening, ugly]
n : an official prohibition or edict against something [syn:
ban, banning, forbiddance]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Forbid \For*bid"\ (f[o^]r*b[i^]d"), v. t. [imp. Forbade
(f[o^]r*b[a^]d"); p. p. Forbidden (f[o^]r*b[i^]d"d'n)
(Forbid, [Obs.]); p. pr. & vb. n. Forbidding
(f[o^]r*b[i^]d"d[i^]ng).] [OE. forbeden, AS. forbe['o]dan;
pref. for- + be['o]dan to bid; akin to D. verbieden, G.
verbieten, Icel. fyrirbj[=o][eth]a, forbo[eth]a, Sw.
f["o]rbjuda, Dan. forbyde. See Bid, v. t.]
1. To command against, or contrary to; to prohibit; to
interdict.
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More than I have said . . .
The leisure and enforcement of the time
Forbids to dwell upon. --Shak.
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2. To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command; to
command not to enter.
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Have I not forbid her my house? --Shak.
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3. To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an effectual
command; as, an impassable river forbids the approach of
the army.
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A blaze of glory that forbids the sight. --Dryden.
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4. To accurse; to blast. [Obs.]
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He shall live a man forbid. --Shak.
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5. To defy; to challenge. [Obs.] --L. Andrews.
Syn: To prohibit; interdict; hinder; preclude; withhold;
restrain; prevent. See Prohibit.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Forbidding \For*bid"ding\, a.
Repelling approach; repulsive; raising abhorrence, aversion,
or dislike; disagreeable; prohibiting or interdicting; as, a
forbidding aspect; a forbidding formality; a forbidding air.
Syn: Disagreeable; unpleasant; displeasing; offensive;
repulsive; odious; abhorrent. -- For*bid"ding*ly, adv.
-- For*bid"ding*ness, n.
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