as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presentiment
Toni has been reluctant to let Amalie go out by herself—her bringing back a telescope seems to confirm some kind of fear, or presentiment.
—
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
-
Again, people have premonitions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
-
At the snap, Wake Forest defensive back Davaughn Patterson fulfilled Joly’s premonition, moving quickly toward the line of scrimmage in an effort to interrupt the tight end’s route out of the backfield.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Nearby, a fire pit and custom seating make the backyard feel staged for conversation even when nobody’s visiting.—
David Caraccio
May 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 May 2026
-
North Texas started Saturday with a cool and crisp feel, with temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s.—
Nelly Carreño,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
And though Fanny released their albums in a post-Stonewall environment, the band’s gay members felt pressured to remain in the closet for fear of losing their record deal or the support of their fans.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
3 May 2026
-
Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
British authorities arrested a man from Sudan on suspicion of endangering life in that case.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
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But the Biden administration, in the thrall of progressive economic policy that views productive business endeavors with the utmost suspicion, soon stepped in.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
At the macro scale of society, loss of control seems like a legitimate reason for worry.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Their worry is that investors are treating this economic moment — physical supply disruptions, geopolitical fracturing, tariff whiplash — like the liquidity crises of the past, which were solvable with government cash.—
Rachel Keidan,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s not to say the decisions were easy and lacked a sense of foreboding.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
None more so than her best friend, Liza, who is haunted by the foreboding last words Jane said to her.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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