forfend

English

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forfend

/fɔːˈfɛnd/ UK
/fə-/ UK
/fɔɹˈfɛnd/ US

Rhymes with -ɛnd

Where it comes from

From Middle English forfenden (“to ward off, protect, prohibit”), equivalent to for- + fend.

verb forfends · forfending · forfended

archaic To prohibit; to forbid; to avert. Clown: … You would know where Lord Anthonie is? I perceiue you. Shall I ſay he is in yond farme houſe? I deceiue you. Shall I tell you this wine is for him? the gods forfend, and ſo I end. Go fellow fighters theres a bob for ye.

Translations

Every language

verb prohibit; forbid; avert

Deutsch	verbieten, verhindern

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MLA

"forfend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/forfend. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

forfend. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/forfend

Chicago

"forfend." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/forfend.

BibTeX

@misc{forfend_2026,
  title = {forfend},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/forfend},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}