forbid
to command (a person) not to do something, have something, etc., or not to enter some place: She forbade him entry to the house.
to prohibit (something); make a rule or law against: to forbid the use of lipstick; to forbid smoking.
to hinder or prevent; make impossible.
to exclude; bar: Burlesque is forbidden in many cities.
Origin of forbid
1synonym study For forbid
Other words for forbid
Other words from forbid
- for·bid·der, noun
Words that may be confused with forbid
- forbid , forebode
Words Nearby forbid
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use forbid in a sentence
The justices were considering the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which generally forbids suits against foreign states.
Supreme Court rules unanimously for Germany in Nazi art sale case | Robert Barnes | February 3, 2021 | Washington PostYou may want, for example, a doorbell cam, but perhaps you live in an apartment building and the landlord forbids any door-lock replacements.
Best home security system: Keep your family and property safe | PopSci Commerce Team | January 29, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIts residents—like those of two other major cities—are forbidden from venturing outside.
China Marks the Wuhan Lockdown Anniversary Amid Spiraling COVID-19 Cases and With Risky Holiday Travel Looming | Charlie Campbell / Changsha and Wuhan | January 22, 2021 | TimeNotably, Telegram’s very brief terms of service forbid the promotion of violence on public channels but do not mention anything about promoting violence on private channels or groups.
Why right-wing extremists’ favorite new platform is so dangerous | Rani Molla | January 20, 2021 | VoxParler CEO John Matze said in a statement the company forbids incitement to violence and had worked to meet Apple and Google’s requirements for content moderation.
Apple and Google are likely to slow down enforcement again after Capitol riot bans | Gerrit De Vynck, Reed Albergotti, Jay Greene | January 12, 2021 | Washington Post
And it has a high percentage of women who say their husbands forbid them from working.
It is an article of faith with this man that there won't be any unruly behavior or, God forbid, any scenes.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe laws of physics probably forbid wormholes from existing anyway, according to Thorne.
Meet Kip Thorne, the Man Who Crafted the Artful Science of ‘Interstellar’ | Asawin Suebsaeng | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe other would forbid more stringent background checks than those required by federal law.
America’s Most Important (and Wackiest) Referendums This November | Ben Jacobs | October 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI would be cautious to even pick them up and God forbid I take them home.
But step before her with my arms clasping a tin can with a geranium plant r Heaven forbid!
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydIn some states statutes forbid the assignment of such policies for the benefit of creditors.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney BollesMany southern states passed resolutions requesting the northern states to forbid the publication of abolitionist papers.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. TorpeyI shall forbid it, I shall distinctly forbid it; it's a duty I owe to dear Georgie.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James WillsI shall not write any more of these diary letters unless there are further acute developments, which God forbid.
The Sinn Fein rebellion As I Saw It. | Mrs. Hamilton Norway
British Dictionary definitions for forbid
/ (fəˈbɪd) /
to prohibit (a person) in a forceful or authoritative manner (from doing something or having something)
to make impossible; hinder
to shut out or exclude
God forbid! may it not happen
Origin of forbid
1Derived forms of forbid
- forbiddance, noun
- forbidder, noun
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with forbid
see god forbid.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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