forbid
verb
Simple meaning
To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ferbidSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
fɚˈbɪd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
ditransitive
To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command.
transitive
To disallow; to proscribe.
transitive
To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an effectual command.
ditransitive
Command against
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (ditransitive) To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command.
Used this way, forbid is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use forbid
- “My sense of tact forbids an honest answer.”verb
- “I forbid you to call me late at night.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
An official prohibition or edict against something.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to deny or exclude from or or warn off
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “forbid” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.