as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
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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
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
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
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
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
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
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Rylance as Cromwell winces at the spectacle, a premonition of his own future.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
20 Mar. 2025
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So maybe the first half was more an aberration than a premonition.—
Joe Rexrode,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The small-town feel grew on them even as their family grew larger to include two children, and their careers placed them on much bigger stages.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The travertine enhances safety without compromising aesthetics and gives the home a monastic feel, covering nearly every wall of the house.—
Emma Reynolds,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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By understanding where and when white sharks are most likely to be detected, researchers and policymakers can better communicate with the public about how to safely enjoy Maine’s beaches without unnecessary fear.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Swalwell says fear of retribution and violence silences others in Congress, including Republicans.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
While some nations view golden visas with suspicion, Americans are flocking to them.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2025
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In the Netflix series, a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller is arrested on the suspicion of murder and presented with CCTV footage of himself fatally stabbing a female classmate named Katie Leonard.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Last Friday, James Bergeron, the acting under secretary at the Education Department, sent a letter to colleges attempting to allay their worries about the layoffs.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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Some Tesla shareholders have expressed worry about the situation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Even the objective comedy of this storyline is framed with foreboding, like the water gun fight.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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Its reappearance on the American scene in the twenty-first century should be taken as a foreboding.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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