a phrase expressing the desire that God would forbid the situation that the speaker has just mentioned from ever happening. Tom: It looks like taxes are going up again. Bob: God forbid!Bob: Bill was in a car wreck. I hope he wasn't hurt! Sue: God forbid!
I hope it does not happen God forbidIf he ever - heaven forbid - has to go through anything like that again, at least he'll know what to do.
Usage notes: also used to suggest that others oppose the reasonable thing being mentioned: It's OK to prevent tooth decay, but heaven forbid that we try to prevent people from becoming addicted to drugs.
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.