Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

forbade

American  
[fer-bad, -beyd, fawr-] / fərˈbæd, -ˈbeɪd, fɔr- /
Also forbad

verb

  1. a simple past tense of forbid.

forbade British  
/ fəˈbæd, -ˈbeɪd, fəˈbæd /

verb

  1. the past tense of forbid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Staff at a North Korean restaurant in Dandong forbade AFP journalists from filming or taking photos of a large screen showing a patriotic music and dance performance.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Not long after, adults will follow suit and find themselves relishing the activities they once forbade their children from.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

She forbade Gláucia from any more involvement in modelling and cut ties with Brunel's network.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

And Handorf bought land near La Puente, which he forbade his family from selling.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

If one forbade her to sleep beyond dawn, another insisted she remain in bed till noon.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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.