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

Early drafts of the No Surprises Act foresaw this very issue, said the Washington Examiner. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2026

Abiel Garcia, partner at law firm Kesselman Brantly Stockinger, who formerly served as California’s deputy attorney general, doesn’t foresee any possibility of a settlement. — Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026

However, 76% of Wall Street traders foresee a rate hike in September, according to the CME FedWatch tool. — Yuri Kageyama, Fortune, 29 July 2026

While some project significant costs, others foresee billions in Medicare savings from reduced hospitalizations. — Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026