forbid Hear it!

forbid Definition

for·bid (fər bid′, fôr-)

transitive verb -·bade′ or -·bad′, -·bid′·den or Archaic-·bid′, -·bid′·ding

  1. to rule against; not permit; prohibit
  2. to command to stay away from; exclude or bar from
  3. to make impossible; prevent

Etymology: ME forbeden < OE forbeodan: see for- & bid

forbid Synonyms

forbid

v.

prohibit, ban, debar, interdict, enjoin, outlaw, restrain, inhibit, preclude, proscribe, disallow, oppose, cancel, hinder, obstruct, bar, prevent, censor, declare illegal, withhold, restrict, deny, refuse, block, check, exclude, embargo, taboo, veto, say ""no'' to, put under the ban, put under an injunction; see also halt 2.

Antonyms approve*, permit*, authorize.

forbid is the basic, direct word meaning to command a person to refrain from some action; prohibit implies a forbidding by law or official decree; interdict implies legal or ecclesiastical prohibition, usually for a limited time, as an exemplary punishment or to forestall unfavorable developments; enjoin implies a legal order from a court prohibiting (or ordering) a given action, under penalty; ban implies legal or ecclesiastical prohibition with an added connotation of strong condemnation or censure

forbid Usage Examples

Object

  • heaven: Heaven forbid that Britain should expect a fair exchange!
  • god: They were playing a sort of poppy, even ' baggy ' ( god forbid!
  • fruit: It had been nothing more than a wilful pursuit of " forbidden fruit " .
  • cremation: Are there any religious groups which forbid cremation to their members?
  • killing: It does not forbid the killing of non-human animals, as is clear from the laws on the ritual slaughter of bulls and goats.
  • taking: It also forbids the taking of innocent life, and those of women and children.

Subject

  • commandment: I question the divinity of a spirit that does its works on graven images that are forbidden by the 2nd commandment.
  • law: The CIA is forbidden by law to operate in the United States.

Modifying Another Word

  • strictly: Smoking is strictly forbidden in any public area of the Relay event.
  • expressly: Article 21 Taking hostages under any form or for any purpose is expressly forbidden.
  • explicitly: Second: would you not actually be in breach of the 1951 UNHCR Convention which explicitly forbids that?
  • specifically: Both these moves were specifically forbidden by the terms of the Treaty.

Infinitive complement

  • speak: Moreover, he is forbidden to speak with any foreigners about any subject.
  • eat: That's what the Law said, it was forbidden to eat it.
  • enter: In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even foreigner if dressed as a man.

Preposition: without

permission: All copying in any form is strictly forbidden without express prior permission.

Preposition: in

commandment: And that isn't even forbidden in the commandment.

Preposition: by

  • commandment: I question the divinity of a spirit that does its works on graven images that are forbidden by the 2nd commandment.
  • law: The CIA is forbidden by law to operate in the United States.