foreshadowing

noun

fore·​shad·​ow·​ing fȯr-ˈsha-də-wiŋ 

plural foreshadowings

: an indication of what is to come

If the history of the world were a novel, the events so strikingly chronicled in the photographs in this book … would seem a foreshadowing of the recent events …

—Ralph Novak

On this merry Christmas evening, however, no fears or dim foreshadowings of any coming event clouded our hearts or faces.

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

also : the use of such indications (as in a work of literature)

And, further, Rose is a genuine cliff-hanger, or page-turner, full of foreshadowing … and all the tried and tricky methods of creating suspense.

—John Simon

Synonyms of foreshadowing

• forerunner
• hint
• precursor
• portent
• prediction
• omen
• foreboding
• presage
• suggestion
• herald
• prefiguring
• augury

Examples of foreshadowing in a Sentence

the hero's strange encounter with a grave digger is often seen as a foreshadowing of his own death

Recent Examples on the Web

His comments contained a bit of foreshadowing. —Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Videos using the format typically present a normal or relatable situation, followed by the implication that something will go wrong — mirroring the foreshadowing associated with the film scene. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026

Think of it as the internet’s version of dramatic foreshadowing. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026

That was probably apt enough foreshadowing for what was to come. —Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foreshadowing

• overshadowing
• shadowing