Meanings
- datedhumorousUsed to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Now there's an opportunity to employ a man who, heaven forfend, actually thinks about tactics and team balance.
2007 November 23, Scott Murray, “Why England’s failure is good news for, er, England”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Oct 20141 more example
Advisor: The voters now see you as imperial and god-like. Burns: Hot dog! Advisor: But there's a down-side to it. The latest polls indicate you're in danger of losing touch with the common man. Burns: Oh, dear! Heaven forfend!
1990, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder, “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish”, in The SimpsonsSynonyms: heaven forbid, God forbid, God forbid, absit omen, heaven forbid, God forfend, lo aleinu · Antonyms: God willing
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionUsed to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Origin
From heaven (“abode of God”) + forfend (“to avert; to forbid, prohibit”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Estonian taevas hoidku
- taevas hoidkuused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Finnish Herra varjele
- Herra varjeleused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Hungarian ne adj' ég
- ne adj' égused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Polish broń Boże, nie daj Bóg
- broń Bożeused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
- nie daj Bógused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
- nie daj Bożeused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
- niech Pan Bóg broniused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
- Boże uchowajused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Turkish Allah korusun
- Allah korusunused to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with heaven forfend
Cite this entry
heaven forfend. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20forfend
“heaven forfend.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20forfend. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heaven forfend,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20forfend.
Source: heaven forfend on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.