Synonyms of foresee

foresee

verb

fȯr-ˈsē 

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand

a freak accident that no one could possibly have foreseen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anticipate
• predict
• divine
• fear
• envision
• foreknow
• foretell
• envisage
• prevision
• presage
• forecast
• visualize
• perceive
• prognosticate
• foreshadow
• prophesy
• forefeel
• prefigure
• dread
• forewarn
• augur
• alert
• caution
• discern
• preview
• apprehend
• foretoken
• descry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foresee different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foresee are anticipate, divine, and foreknow. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

When could anticipate be used to replace foresee?

Although the words anticipate and foresee have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When is it sensible to use foreknow instead of foresee?

The synonyms foreknow and foresee are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foresee

The survey is an indicator of companies foreseeing good conditions minus those feeling pessimistic. —ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026

Lee might have foreseen the appeal of Norris’s peculiar blend of Okie familiarity and hyperbolic badassery before Norris did. —Chris Klimek, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026

For now, the company does not foresee closing additional stores – or opening new ones – and instead, will focus on improving performance at its existing stores. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026

Policymakers also foresee unemployment remaining unchanged by the end of this year, a more optimistic outlook than most outside economists. —Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026