foretell

verb

fore·​tell fȯr-ˈtel 

foretold fȯr-ˈtōld  ; foretelling

transitive verb

: to tell beforehand : predict

foreteller noun

Synonyms

• predict

Choose the Right Synonym for foretell

foretell, predict, forecast, prophesy, prognosticate mean to tell beforehand.

foretell applies to the telling of the coming of a future event by any procedure or any source of information.

seers foretold the calamity

predict commonly implies inference from facts or accepted laws of nature.

astronomers predicted an eclipse

forecast adds the implication of anticipating eventualities and differs from predict in being usually concerned with probabilities rather than certainties.

forecast snow

prophesy connotes inspired or mystic knowledge of the future especially as the fulfilling of divine threats or promises.

prophesying a new messiah

prognosticate is used less often than the other words; it may suggest learned or skilled interpretation, but more often it is simply a colorful substitute for predict or prophesy.

prognosticating the future

Examples of foretell in a Sentence

We cannot foretell the future.

a 16th-century astrologer who, some claim, accurately foretold 20th-century events

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, a docking in geosynchronous orbit could foretell an emerging capability for China to approach, capture, and disable another country's satellite. —ArsTechnica, 8 July 2025

And my latest podcast: The warranted narrative of this Florida Panthers’ postseason had been the team’s stellar play away from home -- airports and hotels somehow foretelling unlikely magic on ice. —Greg Cote june 29, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025

The show’s title refers to these haunting clues — a sequence of nine puzzle pieces, each foretelling a new murder, and each fitting into a larger picture that gradually reveals the truth behind a decade-old cover-up. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 June 2025

Bruckheimer is not one of the doomsayers foretelling the end of movies. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foretell

• bagatelle
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel

Kids Definition

foretell

verb

fore·​tell fōr-ˈtel 

fȯr-

foretold -ˈtōld  ; foretelling

: to tell of or describe beforehand

foreteller noun