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

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

Few people would want to look for a new place in their 70s or, God forbid, 80s.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026

“I am doing this,” she told them, “because I would hope, God forbid, anything happens to me, that my community steps up to help my kids.”

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2026

“We’ve got a lot of young boys and girls on our street, and I worry that, God forbid, something might ricochet and hit them, or one of us, or one of our dogs.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2025

“Yeah, God forbid you should ever get out of touch with us poor Chicanos up here,” Ernie Maestas laughed, slapping the agent’s shoulder as he went by.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols