God forbid

Idioms  

1. Also, heaven forbid. May God prevent something from happening or being the case. For example, God forbid that they actually encounter a bear, or Heaven forbid that the tornado pulls off the roof. This term, in which heaven also stands for “God,” does not necessarily imply a belief in God's direct intervention but merely expresses a strong wish. [c. 1225] For a synonym, see perish the thought.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

God forbid

Against the risks of didacticism — or, God forbid, “preachiness” — I’ll take the productive tension of the occasional cliché or bald statement of purpose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

“Because God forbid they start watching ‘The View’ or something.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

If, God forbid, Maddie should disappear — if Grande departed public life, as she’s now planning on — there would be a hole in Deena’s life.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

Fakhreddine said they "stored some food supplies and diesel fuel for electricity generators, as a precaution in case, God forbid, the war returns again."

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

“It’s not because of illness, God forbid, or anything else bad, is it?”

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar