forbid

  • 1forbid — 1. The past tense is forbade, although forbad is occasionally used and cannot be said to be wrong. The pronunciation of forbade is fǝ bayd or (as if it were forbad) fǝ bad. 2. Forbid can be followed by a noun (often a verbal noun): Cars are… …

    Modern English usage

  • 2forbid — forbid, prohibit, enjoin, interdict, inhibit, ban are comparable when meaning to debar a person from using, doing, or entering or to order something not be used, done, or entered. Forbid is the more direct and familiar, prohibit, the more formal… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3Forbid — For*bid (f[o^]r*b[i^]d ), v. t. [imp. {Forbade} (f[o^]r*b[a^]d ); p. p. {Forbidden} (f[o^]r*b[i^]d d n) ({Forbid}, [Obs.]); p. pr. & vb. n. {Forbidding} (f[o^]r*b[i^]d d[i^]ng).] [OE. forbeden, AS. forbe[ o]dan; pref. for + be[ o]dan to bid; akin …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4Forbid — For*bid (f[o^]r*b[i^]d ), v. t. [imp. {Forbade} (f[o^]r*b[a^]d ); p. p. {Forbidden} (f[o^]r*b[i^]d d n) ({Forbid}, [Obs.]); p. pr. & vb. n. {Forbidding} (f[o^]r*b[i^]d d[i^]ng).] [OE. forbeden, AS. forbe[ o]dan; pref. for + be[ o]dan to bid; akin …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5forbid — [fər bid′, fôrbid′] vt. forbade or forbad, forbidden or Archaic forbid, forbidding [ME forbeden < OE forbeodan: see FOR & BID1] 1. to rule against; not permit; prohibit 2. to command to stay away from; exclude or bar from …

    English World dictionary

  • 6forbid — (v.) O.E. forbeodan forbid, prohibit, from FOR (Cf. for ) against + beodan to command (see BID (Cf. bid)). Common Germanic compound (Cf. Du. verbieden, O.H.G. farbiotan, Ger. verbieten, O.N. fyrirbjoða, Goth …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 7forbid — ► VERB (forbidding; past forbade or forbad; past part. forbidden) 1) refuse to allow. 2) order not to do. ● the forbidden degrees Cf. ↑the forbidden degrees …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8Forbid — For*bid , v. i. To utter a prohibition; to prevent; to hinder. I did not or forbid. Milton. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 9forbid — I verb ban, bar, block, check, command not to do, debar, declare illegal, deny, deny permission, deprive, deter, disallow, disapprove, discountenance, discourage, enjoin, exclude, forfend, hinder, impede, inhibit, interdicere, interdict, make… …

    Law dictionary

  • 10forbid — [v] outlaw, prohibit an action ban, block, cancel, censor, check, debar, declare illegal, deny, deprive, disallow, embargo, enjoin, exclude, forestall, forfend, freeze*, halt, hinder, hold up, impede, inhibit, interdict, lock up, nix*, obstruct,… …

    New thesaurus