ENGLISH
REFERENCE

forbade

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //fɝˈbeɪd// UK //fəbˈeɪd// for·bade

v. the past tense of forbid. It means that someone in charge told you that you were not allowed to do something.

v. the past tense of 'forbid'; indicates that an authority figure or law prohibited a specific action.


SIMPLE

My parents forbade me from staying out past midnight.

CONTEXTUAL

The school rules strictly forbade the use of mobile phones during lessons to ensure students remained focused.

COMPLEX

Although the treaty forbade the construction of new warships, several nations exploited legal loopholes to modernize their existing fleets under the guise of routine maintenance.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The past tense of 'forbid'. It is transitive and frequently followed by an object and a prepositional phrase starting with 'from'.

Pitfall

He forbade me to goHe forbade me from goingWhile 'forbid to' is used in the present tense, the past tense 'forbade' more naturally pairs with 'from' plus a gerund in modern usage.

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