What does the word ‘forbid’ mean?
To forbid describes the action of when we, “command (a person) not to do something, have something, etc., or not to enter some place: She forbade him entry to the house.” Forbid is an irregular verb, since neither of its past forms end in –ed. See how forbid conjugates to its other verb forms, in the sections below.
The ancient laws forbade the use of magic within the city walls.
Such behavior is absolutely forbidden in this establishment.
The committee has forbade members from discussing the topic.
The school principal forbidden students from leaving campus during lunch.
What are the tenses of forbid?
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I forbid | I forbade | I will forbid |
| Continuous | I am forbidding | I was forbidding | I will be forbidding |
| Perfect | I have forbidden | I had forbidden | I will have forbidden |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been forbidding | I had been forbidding | I will have been forbidding |
What’s the past tense vs. past participle form of forbid?
The simple past tense (forbid/forbade) is used to refer to an event or action that took place and was completed entirely in the past. We would use the participle form of the verb (forbidden) to create other aspects of tense, known as the perfect aspect or tenses in grammar.
To form the perfect aspect in grammar, we pair the past participle form of the verb with an auxiliary verb, like was or had. This is shown in the second sentence since it uses the auxiliary ‘was‘, whereas in the simple past tense there is no auxiliary verb present to supplement the participle.
My parents forbade me from attending the late-night party.
There was a sign that had forbidden photography in the museum, but I can’t seem to find it.
Think of “forbid” as a “forbidden” word that doesn’t follow the usual past tense rules – it’s unique like its meaning!
Synonyms and phrases
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| synonyms | prohibit, ban, bar, restrict, disallow, outlaw, veto, prevent, hinder, deny |
Origin of the verb forbid
Old English forbeodan “forbid, prohibit” from for- “against” + beodan “to command”.
Worksheet: forbid conjugations
Her parents ______ her to go to the concert on a school night.
Entering the restricted area has been strictly ______ by the authorities.
The new company policy ______ the use of personal devices during work hours.
I absolutely ______ you to tell anyone else this secret.
The sign had a stark message, ______ anyone from entering the property.
FAQs
What is the simple past tense of forbid?
+
What is the past participle form of forbid?
+
How do I use ‘forbade’ correctly?
+
How do I use ‘forbidden’ correctly?
+
Is forbid a regular or irregular verb?
+
Sources
-
1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of forbid.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/forbid. Accessed 30 May, 2023.
Yash, D. "How to Use Forbid vs. Forbidden (Irregular Verb Forms)." Grammarflex, Aug 28, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/forbid-vs-forbidden/.
