Dictionary

forbid en · VERB

Pronunciation

• [fɚˈbɪd] ~ [fɹ̩ˈbɪd] (General-American)
• [fəˈbɪd] (Received-Pronunciation)
• /fɚˈbɪd/ (General-American)
• /fəˈbɪd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English forbeden, from Old English forbēodan (“to forbid, prohibit, restrain, refuse, repeal, annul”), from Proto-Germanic *furibeudaną, from *furi + *beudaną. Equivalent to for- (“from, away”) + bid (“to offer, proclaim”). Cognate with Dutch verbieden (“to forbid”), German verbieten (“to forbid”), Danish forbyde (“to forbid”), Norwegian Bokmål forby (“to forbid”), Swedish förbjuda (“to forbid”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (faurbiudan). Related to forbode.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To disallow; to proscribe.
   • Solon also forbade the export of corn and other agricultural products, with the single exception of olive oil, of which Athens had a surplus. 1998, Robert Garland, Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks, Greenwood Press, →ISBN, page 8:
   • Smoking in the restaurant is forbidden.
   • […] the Mole recollected that animal-etiquette forbade any sort of comment on the sudden disappearance of one's friends at any moment, for any reason or no reason whatever. 1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC:
2. (ditransitive) To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command.
   • Have I not forbid her my house? c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
3. (transitive) To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an effectual command.
   • An impassable river forbids the approach of the army.
   • a blaze of glory that forbids the sight 1687, [John Dryden], “(please specify the page number)”, in The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in Three Parts, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
4. (obsolete, transitive) To accurse; to blast.
   • He shall live a man forbid. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
5. (obsolete, transitive) To defy; to challenge.
   • So there is a resemblance between the partie that here gives licence to come to the tree of life, and the other that forbid to come to it. The one threatned with a sword; the other promiseth to the persons that keep the condition here expressed 1598, Lancelot Andrewes, sermon preached in the Parish Church of St. Giles without Cripplegate, London:
   • What part of "no" do you forbid to understand?

Forms

Deriveds

forbiddal · reforbid · unforbid · forbidder · God forbid · forbiddance · forbiddable · heaven forbid · forbidding · Goddess forbid

Synonyms

veto · prohibit · disallow · ban

Translations (181)

la vetō (to disallow) · km ប្រញប្ត (to disallow) · ru не разреши́ть (to disallow) · ky тыгоу (to disallow) · gl entredicir (to disallow) · sl prepovedovati (to disallow) · sl prepovedati (to disallow) · lt uždrausti (to disallow) · it smentire (to disallow) · cs zakazovat (to disallow) · ms larang (to disallow) · lo ຫ້າມ (to disallow) · la interdicō (to disallow) · is banna (to disallow) · ro interzice (to disallow) · sh zabranjívati (to disallow) · lo ສງວນ (to disallow) · bg отка́звам (to disallow) · hy արգելել (to disallow) · uk забороня́ти (to disallow) · mn хорих (to disallow) · ca denegar (to disallow) · nb nekte (to disallow) · sh zabrániti (to disallow) · fo banna (to disallow) · es negar (to disallow) · kk тыйым салу (to disallow) · hi मना करना (to disallow) · ga coisc (ar) (to disallow) · ang forbēodan (to disallow) · gl enfensar (to disallow) · km អាយ័ត (to disallow) · az yasaqlamaq (to disallow) · hi रोकना (to disallow) · km ប្រាម (to disallow) · it vietare (to disallow) · vi cấm chỉ (to disallow) · de vorenthalten (to disallow) · cmn 禁止 (to disallow) · bn নিষেধ করা (to disallow) · gl coutar (to disallow) · nn forbyda (to disallow) · nl niet toestaan (to disallow) · pl zakazywać (to disallow) · id larang (to disallow) · ru не разреша́ть (to disallow) · ru отказа́ть (to disallow) · it negare (to disallow) · la prohibeō (to disallow) · mn хориглох (to disallow) · az qadağan etmək (to disallow) · de ablehnen (to disallow) · nl weigeren (to disallow) · ja 拒む (to disallow) · ka აკრძალვა (to disallow) · it proibire (to disallow) · th ห้าม (to disallow) · zdj uziia (to disallow) · kw difen (to disallow) · he אָסַר (to disallow) · sv förbjuda (to disallow) · fi estää (to disallow) · uk заборони́ти (to disallow) · gl privar (to disallow) · fa پنامیدن (to disallow) · az yasaq etmək (to disallow) · got 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (to disallow) · gl prohibir (to disallow) · lo ປາມ (to disallow) · wyi toomatining-goongak (to disallow) · ast negar (to disallow) · la negō (to disallow) · es prohibir (to disallow) · ar حَرَّمَ (to disallow) · et keelustama (to disallow) · ml വിലക്കുക (to disallow) · cs zakázat (to disallow) · my မြစ် (to disallow) · eu uko egin (to disallow) · fa غیر مجاز کردن (to disallow) · pl odmówić (to disallow) · ml തടയുക (to disallow) · tg манъ кардан (to disallow) · pl zabraniać (to disallow) · pl odmawiać (to disallow) · gl banir (to disallow) · nn forby (to disallow) · sv förvägra (to disallow) · eu debekatu (to disallow) · pt negar (to disallow) · cmn 拒絕 /拒绝 (to disallow) · ja 止める (to disallow) · tk gadagan etmek (to disallow) · bdr ngelarang (to disallow) · gl toller (to disallow) · tr yasaklamak (to disallow) · nn nekte (to disallow) · bg забраня́вам (to disallow) · mk забранува (to disallow) · ja 禁じる (to disallow) · lv aizliegt (to disallow) · el απαγορεύω (to disallow) · ko 금하다 (to disallow) · ru запреща́ть (to disallow) · km ហាម (to disallow) · vi cấm (to disallow) · ru запрети́ть (to disallow) · my တား (to disallow) · alt токтодып салар (to disallow) · nrf d'fendre (to disallow) · ja 断る (to disallow) · tpi tambuim (to disallow) · ru отка́зывать (to disallow) · de verweigern (to disallow) · scn nigari (to disallow) · lt neleisti (to disallow) · vec negar (to disallow) · ja 否む (to disallow) · pl zakazać (to disallow) · fi kieltää (to disallow) · rm snegar (to disallow) · nl verbieden (to disallow) · ja 拒否する (to disallow) · pt proibir (to disallow) · sh забра́нити (to disallow) · tr yasak etmek (to disallow) · es vetar (to disallow) · nl ontzeggen (to disallow) · fr dénier (to disallow) · tr menetmek (to disallow) · la abnegō (to disallow) · sk zakazovať (to disallow) · mn цээрлэх (to disallow) · sh забрањи́вати (to disallow) · et keelama (to disallow) · io interdiktar (to disallow) · id melarang (to disallow) · lb verbidden (to disallow) · ko 금지하다 (to disallow) · es vedar (to disallow) · sk zakázať (to disallow) · vi ngăn cấm (to disallow) · de verbieten (to disallow) · km ឃាត់ (to disallow) · ky тыюу салуу (to disallow) · nn nekta (to disallow) · nb forby (to disallow) · be забарані́ць (to disallow) · ro nega (to disallow) · pl zabronić (to disallow) · eo malpermesi (to disallow) · sv neka (to disallow) · kk рұқсат етпеу (to disallow) · hu megtilt (to disallow) · fr nier (to disallow) · yi פֿאַרווערן (to disallow) · gl devedar (to disallow) · fa بازداشتن (to disallow) · gd diùlt (to disallow) · da forbyde (to disallow) · my ပညတ် (to disallow) · be забараня́ць (to disallow) · ln pekisa (to disallow) · ja 禁止する (to disallow) · uz man qilmoq (to disallow) · fur neâ (to disallow) · nn forbyde (to disallow) · cy gwahardd (to disallow) · fa منع کردن (to disallow) · hu tilt (to disallow) · ar حَظَرَ (to disallow) · de untersagen (to disallow) · th ปราม (to disallow) · ga éar (to disallow) · tg роҳ надодан (to disallow) · fr interdire (to disallow) · mk забрани (to disallow) · la denegō (to disallow) · ar مَنَعَ (to disallow) · tet bandu (to disallow) · sq ndaloj (to disallow)