God forbid

Idioms

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.

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.

God forbid a lady feels ravenous during her three p.m. slump.

From Salon • May 17, 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

You also need a contingency plan if something — God forbid — ever happened to your son and he predeceased you.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 21, 2026

"It could be your mother, it could be your sibling, God forbid it could be your kid who one day needs this," she said.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

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

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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