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

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

“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

If something, God forbid, happens to us, we don’t want to go into medical debt over it.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 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