as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
foreboding clouds began to gather
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of foreboding
Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 May 2025
There’s nonetheless a difference between vibey vagueness that creates an air of foreboding mystique and fuzziness that obscures key aspects of character and story.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2025
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Even the objective comedy of this storyline is framed with foreboding, like the water gun fight.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
Unlike Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, this world is more foreboding than scary, but as guests quickly learn from its can’t-miss attraction Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, monsters still shouldn’t be crossed.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 May 2025
There’s nonetheless a difference between vibey vagueness that creates an air of foreboding mystique and fuzziness that obscures key aspects of character and story.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2025
Noun
His artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, mixed-media assemblages, mosaics, photographs, and film, are full of mood and foreboding.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Even the objective comedy of this storyline is framed with foreboding, like the water gun fight.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreboding
Adjective
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If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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After it was announced that James would exercise his player option this past June, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul gave a somewhat ominous quote regarding the future.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The oak tree On the flag, a chartreuse oak tree sits on the left side, symbolizing Overland Park’s park-like feel with 84 parks in the city and its Tree City USA designation.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
20 Aug. 2025
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The brand utilizes unique technology to provide a cushiony feel that helps alleviate joint pain.—
Taylor Lane,
Flow Space,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
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The rise in the PCE inflation rate yesterday, to 2.8% over the past year (excluding food and energy), is a portent of price increases to come.—
Harry Holzer,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Andrea Pirlo went to work in the Dubai second division after the Italian Football Federation settled on Gennaro Gattuso as the underwhelming answer to a qualifying campaign now overwhelmed by a sense of dread.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Western instruments add an extra degree of dread on the score, to suggest the encroachment of the U.S. forces — Rota brings out the ominousness of an oboe like no film composer ever.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
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For The Fin, his team worked to make the dim light extra grainy, giving it a particularly sinister quality.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
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This turns out to be another name for Galactus, a surprisingly scary Marvel villain played with sinister sincerity by Ralph Ineson.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
Noun
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Each movie centered on a character who has a premonition of a horrific and deadly event.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Aug. 2025
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The film series follows groups of people who escape their impending deaths after someone receives a premonition about their doom, saving them from their grisly fate.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
25 July 2025
Noun
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German missile designers launched their V2 rocket for the first time—the forerunner of the ICBM that would blitz the United Kingdom—and Berlin’s Luftwaffe dominated European skies.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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His band may be forerunners in this respect, but Allen recognizes that the attention is paying off for all of his Alabama contemporaries.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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