Words That Rhyme With "forbidden" — Rhymes for Songwriters & Poets
"Forbidden" carries a rich, dramatic weight that makes it a favorite in Gothic rock, dark pop, and passionate ballads. It sits in the '-idden' rhyme family alongside words that evoke concealment and transgression, giving songwriters instant emotional tension. Its four syllables allow for sweeping melodic phrasing, and it thrives in themes of secret love, defiance, and desire.
What Rhymes With "forbidden"?
Perfect Rhymes
Near Rhymes
Slant Rhymes
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Famous uses of "forbidden" in music and poetry
Forbidden Love - Madonna
Madonna uses 'forbidden' to frame romantic transgression, pairing it with imagery of shame and desire to heighten the emotional stakes of illicit love.
Forbidden - Beyonc
Beyonc employs the word as a standalone declaration, letting its dramatic syllables fill musical space and signal a shift in emotional register within the track.
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Though not using the word directly, the concept of forbidden desire is central to the song's DNA, and many covers and reinterpretations explicitly introduce the word as a near-rhyme anchor.
Frequently asked questions
What rhymes perfectly with forbidden?
Perfect rhymes include hidden, ridden, bidden, midden, stridden, chidden, overridden, and bestridden. 'Hidden' and 'ridden' are the most usable in modern songwriting - 'hidden' pairs beautifully in lines about secret emotions, while 'ridden' (guilt-ridden, fear-ridden) adds compound emotional depth. 'Bidden' and 'chidden' are archaic but work brilliantly in classical poetry or fantasy-themed lyrics.
What are near rhymes for forbidden?
Near rhymes include broken, spoken, chosen, token, woven, stolen, frozen, and golden. 'Spoken' and 'broken' are the most versatile - 'words unspoken' and 'something broken' echo the same emotional territory as 'forbidden.' 'Stolen' is especially potent in love songs since stolen moments and forbidden love are thematically intertwined.
What are slant rhymes for forbidden?
Slant rhymes include burden, pardon, garden, heaven, driven, risen, given, and written. 'Burden' and 'driven' carry similar emotional weight and stress patterns, making them strong candidates in rock and country. 'Garden' offers a lush, pastoral contrast that poets use to create ironic tension against the word's darker connotations.
How do you use forbidden in a rap song?
In rap, 'forbidden' works best as a hook anchor or a punchline closer because its four syllables command attention. Pair it with 'hidden' in an internal rhyme scheme - for example, 'secrets hidden, paths forbidden' - to create a tight, satisfying couplet. Its Latinate weight also contrasts well against shorter, punchy monosyllabic rhymes in verses, making it stand out when dropped strategically. Avoid forcing it into fast-flow verses; instead, let it land on a slow beat for maximum impact.
What is the best rhyme scheme for forbidden in poetry?
An ABAB scheme works exceptionally well, alternating 'forbidden' with a near rhyme like 'broken' or 'spoken' in the B lines. This creates a push-pull tension that mirrors the word's thematic conflict. For sonnets, placing 'forbidden' at the volta - the turn in line 9 - gives it maximum dramatic force. Couplet closings with 'hidden' as the paired end word produce a satisfying, resolved sound that feels earned rather than forced.
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