forefend

British

/ fɔːˈfɛnd /

verb

(tr) a variant spelling of forfend

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Heaven forefend Amazon would use robots to make chores less laborious, as it has for warehouse work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Heaven forefend, this might have pushed them to work longer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

If her skin it is wrinkled—ah, God forefend her!

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume XXIV. by Leighton, Alexander

I never, indeed, horsewhipped the wrong man, but that is only because I never horsewhipped anybody at all, Heaven forefend!

From Punch, Or The London Charivari, Volume 102, January 23, 1892 by Various

Heaven forefend that I should live to see you so again.

From Dryden's Works Vol. 3 (of 18) Sir Martin Mar-All; The Tempest; An Evening's Love; Tyrannic Love by Dryden, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023