as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
foreboding clouds began to gather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I have this strange foreboding that your ski vacation will not turn out well, so be extra careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in portent
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
used to think that if he saw a blackbird fly over his left shoulder it was a foreboding of harm
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
a pessimist who is always overcome by a sense of foreboding before flying on an airplane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also forboding
as in promising
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
the dry summer doesn't forebode well for the harvest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of foreboding
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Last night, scientists began to hear cryptic and foreboding warnings from colleagues: Go to the CDC website, and download your data now.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2024
His aunts offered us tortillas to warm our hands while his uncle expressed dark forebodings about our chances of success.
—Kayla Aletha Welch, Longreads, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
As well as that, there's a foreboding shot of Galactus casting his considerable shadow over New York City.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
Last night, scientists began to hear cryptic and foreboding warnings from colleagues: Go to the CDC website, and download your data now.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
Mid- to late-cycle expansions don’t need to draw fuel from a deep reservoir of fear and foreboding, the way early-cycle recoveries do.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2024
His aunts offered us tortillas to warm our hands while his uncle expressed dark forebodings about our chances of success.
—Kayla Aletha Welch, Longreads, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreboding
Adjective
-
The propulsive sometimes ominous orchestral music score from Sharon Farber stresses the points being made.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Greg's ominous dinner party setup teases major drama ahead.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Todd Snyder x Bon Iver Sweater Hoodie – $398 – crafted from Snyder’s signature Nomad yarn — a recycled Italian cashmere that offers a plush, lofty feel and the perfect weight for year-round wear.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2025
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Depending on the bike, this can counteract any wonky feel of the ride.—
Chris Cona,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Weinstein’s thuggish joke was just one portent of the edgy, borderline sinister air that permeated the party from the very beginning.—
Scott Huver,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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As the two settle into their new house, Michael Shanks, the film’s Australian writer-director, pulls an anything-goes series of shocking portents.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
For many, as the rain kept falling, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Thus, the fear of displacement has not become a distant memory but a continuous dread as the age of gentrification looms over the neighborhood.—
Alyza J Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As one manifestation of Carter’s commitment, his administration began to oppose loans from international financial institutions to rights-abusing governments, promising to provide financial support only after these countries demonstrated concrete improvements on human rights.—
Michael Posner,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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Was Knies’ promising rookie season not necessarily a sign of things to come?—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The supernatural thriller is set in the Jim Crow South, where twin brothers—each played by Jordan—return home from Chicago with hopes of starting over, only to confront a sinister force that’s been waiting for them.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Apr. 2025
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The banal village tunes that Mahler altered into sinister mock vulgarities—did these not recall the raffish klezmer bands, the wandering musicians who played at shtetl weddings?—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington.—
Shalom Goldman,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
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The title is an apt, if sort of obvious, introduction to Turner, who has been hailed as the forerunner to modern art.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Consumer sentiment fell sharply in April, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines, as an intensifying trade war fueled anxiety over American jobs and rising inflation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
For the next year, Munn battled postpartum anxiety.—
Danielle Pergament,
SELF,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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