FORERUNNER Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'forerunner' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of forerunner are harbinger , herald , and precursor . While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage. // the blockade was the forerunner of war

Q: How do 'harbinger' and 'herald' relate to one another, in the sense of 'forerunner'?

Harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event. // their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season // the herald of a new age in medicine

Q: When would 'precursor' be a good substitute for 'forerunner'?

The synonyms precursor and forerunner are sometimes interchangeable, but precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another. // 18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

forerunner

noun

ˈfȯr-ˌrə-nər

Definition of forerunner next

as in precursor

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in ancestor

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word forerunner distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of forerunner are harbinger, herald, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

How do harbinger and herald relate to one another, in the sense of forerunner?

Harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season

the herald of a new age in medicine

When would precursor be a good substitute for forerunner?

The synonyms precursor and forerunner are sometimes interchangeable, but precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of forerunner Ditka, 6 foot 3 and 230 pounds, was a forerunner to the 6-4, 230-pound Bowers. —

Mike Sando, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 Punk and Emo, the forerunners of today’s worm-mollusks, lived on the dark seafloor amid gardens of sponges, nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs emerged on land. —

Kate Golembiewski, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s. —

Joel Mathis, theweek, 17 Dec. 2024 The launch of its own line of foundation models marks Amazon’s latest push to strengthen its position against forerunners Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. —

Afp, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forerunner

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner

Noun

Humidity Think of humidity as the precursor to mold and mildew.

— Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2025
Predicting earthquakes is not scientifically possible, and experts cannot determine definitively whether the seismic activity between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos is a precursor to a significantly larger earthquake, or is part of weeks or months of small or moderate intensity quakes.

— Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025