forefend

British

/ fɔːˈfɛnd /

verb

(tr) a variant spelling of forfend

"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.

Heaven forefend Amazon would use robots to make chores less laborious, as it has for warehouse work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Heaven forefend, this might have pushed them to work longer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

I don't think those entertainments are dangerously exciting to her now; and Heaven forefend that she should write poetry!

From Guy Livingstone; or, 'Thorough' by Lawrence, George A. (George Alfred)

God forefend that her, whom, as to the more worthy, He has given to thee, I should ever accept of thee for mine.

From The Decameron, Volume II by Rigg, J. M. (James Macmullen)

Now heaven forefend no evil hath befallen him; but to thy mission, Athelbert, I must not detain thee with doubts and cavil.

From The Days of Bruce Vol 1 A Story from Scottish History by Aguilar, Grace

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023