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.

---

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

Or, God forbid, should I find someone to marry just for the purpose of taking care of me in my twilight years?

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 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

“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

But God forbid they should ever yell at each other.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols