foretell applies to the telling of the coming of a future event by any procedure or any source of information.
seers foretold the calamity
predict commonly implies inference from facts or accepted laws of nature.
astronomers predicted an eclipse
forecast adds the implication of anticipating eventualities and differs from predict in being usually concerned with probabilities rather than certainties.
forecast snow
prophesy connotes inspired or mystic knowledge of the future especially as the fulfilling of divine threats or promises.
prophesying a new messiah
prognosticate is used less often than the other words; it may suggest learned or skilled interpretation, but more often it is simply a colorful substitute for predict or prophesy.
prognosticating the future
Examples of foretell in a Sentence
We cannot foretell the future.
a 16th-century astrologer who, some claim, accurately foretold 20th-century events
Recent Examples on the WebConfidence can foretell consumer spending, which makes up 70% of the economy.—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024 That flash point foretells an America becoming more polarized the hotter things get, more sharply divided between its rural and urban communities and more hateful and more dangerous.—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024 Since then, that number has only continued to dwindle, foretelling the eventual closure of its brick-and-mortar locations amid competition from Target, Walmart and online retailers.—Sara Belcher, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024 That fact alone foretells how Gen Z overall will respond to the country's current dominant forms of Christianity, from white evangelicalism to white Catholicism, Deckman says.—Russell Contreras, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foretell
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foretell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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