to forfend
2
9.9
- verb
- /fɔrˈfɛnd/
- Archaic
:
impedir
- The gods of Rome forfend I should be author to dishonor you.
Examples
-
I'm sure some of you have prospects and some of you even have a future before you, even if it's only in Graduate School or heaven forfend law school.
-
Oh, heaven forfend someone should be valued for their wit!
Blog text (19) -
If, God forfend, he should die now of the plague, would anyone remember him in even ten years' time?
Fiction book (1993) -
Heaven forfend! It's a pretty clear sign that you've got nothing legitimate to sell.
Blog text (7) -
Small prodigalities, the father suggests, forfend the greater danger of social disintegration.
Academic text (1992) -
This business strategy has led us to a point where the consumer knows that he or she can literally abuse the employees and rules of any given business and never face any retribution, because heaven forfend that business cost itself a sale or suffer a negative online review.
Blog text (1) -
If it is Juilliard, it can be upstairs on the Plaza, downstairs in the theater, around the corner at Alice Tully, or, heaven forfend, in the Studio building.
Fiction book (2002) -
If I were a Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, agnostic, or—heaven forfend!—an atheist?
Fiction book (1990) -
She installed a security system to forfend any potential break-ins while she was away.
-
The organization works tirelessly to forfend discrimination against marginalized communities.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To keep someone or something safe from harm
∞
1.0
To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening
∞
1.3
To protect people and things from attack or harm
352
1.9
To protect someone, for example by guarding them in a game
146
2.7
To protect someone or something from harm
84
1.3
To take care to avoid a problem or danger
81
4.7
To take care of or protect yourself without help
76
4.6
To turn attention away from a person or thing
73
5.0
To stop something bad from happening
56
3.3
To protect people or things from harm
45
3.7
To protect someone or something from harm
43
4.8
To keep someone or something safe from harm
38
3.9
Stop something harmful from coming close and causing trouble
34
4.4
To keep harmful or unpleasant things away from you
34
3.9
Keep unwanted people or things away so they do not harm you
30
6.4
To stop something bad from happening for a while
25
3.6
Do things to avoid harm or danger
23
4.8
Stop something from happening by acting early
9
1.8
To protect people or things from danger
5
9.1
Prevent a problem or need by acting before it happens
3
3.8
To protect a person or thing from harm
2
3.1
To stay and watch to protect people or a place
To stop something bad from happening
To protect someone or something by giving strong support like a wall
Antonyms
Idioms
How Effective
Surface Forms
Morphology
forfend = fend (semi-transparent) = for + fend
Formally built from the prefix 'for-' + the verb 'fend', so the meaning 'ward off/prevent' follows, but both elements and the prefixal use are archaic/uncommon in modern English.
Etymology
Forfend comes from Old English parts for- and fend, where for- meant 'away' and fend is like the modern word 'fend off' or 'defend', meaning 'to protect'. So, to forfend something is to 'keep it away' or stop harm from happening.