as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
foreboding clouds began to gather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I have this strange foreboding that your ski vacation will not turn out well, so be extra careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in portent
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
used to think that if he saw a blackbird fly over his left shoulder it was a foreboding of harm
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
a pessimist who is always overcome by a sense of foreboding before flying on an airplane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also forboding
as in promising
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
the dry summer doesn't forebode well for the harvest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foreboding
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
While dystopian novels tend to have a foreboding sense of darkness within them, this best-selling sci-fi book takes a refreshingly vibrant approach, which didn’t fully translate to its 2018 film adaptation.
—Robert English, EW.com, 30 July 2025
Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2025
Andrew Skeet and Nathan Klein’s orchestral original score sets an appropriate tone of mournful foreboding.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 June 2025
Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
Almost entirely through the art of strong suggestion, the connections between Nine Inch Nails’ presentation and many of the foreboding issues dominating the headlines proved too obvious to miss.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
While dystopian novels tend to have a foreboding sense of darkness within them, this best-selling sci-fi book takes a refreshingly vibrant approach, which didn’t fully translate to its 2018 film adaptation.
—Robert English, EW.com, 30 July 2025
Noun
Early in President Donald Trump’s second term, European leaders and many U.S. defense and security experts were anticipating this week’s NATO summit with foreboding.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2025
Andrew Skeet and Nathan Klein’s orchestral original score sets an appropriate tone of mournful foreboding.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 June 2025
Verb
Despite the seemingly sweet resolution to their storyline (and an ostensibly upbeat last line of dialogue), there’s a strange undercurrent to the Nagisa and Natsuo segment that suggests foreboding as much as potential happiness — a mysterious tension befitting the creator that Miyake is adapting.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreboding
Adjective
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The squeals, heavy breathing, and tail thrashing of the headline attraction, the ominous pitter-patter of a chestburster scuttling across the floor, and the characteristic crunch of a chestburster smashing through an unfortunate ribcage are all integral to the extra-terrestrial horror.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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Then again, silence can sometimes be more ominous than shouting — as Dennis Allen, Joe Philbin and others can attest.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That may be geographically massive, but having one baseball team can inspire almost a small-town feel.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Sofas are being brought in to give the place a homey feel.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The idea of having to double-cleanse fills me with dread.—
Mattie Kahn,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He’s been accused of persuading people to invest their life savings in his real estate opportunities and promising six-figure returns, only to take the profits for himself.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 Oct. 2025
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Between 1815 and 1944, alliances promising mutual defense proliferated, yet wars were plentiful.—
Omar Al-Ubaydli,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One memorable moment comes early, when another call between Polly and her mother tilts into dread as the voice on the phone morphs into a more callous, sinister being.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Jonathan and Mina Harker return to Transylvania with their teenage daughter, Quincey — only for her to be ensnared in the castle’s sinister games.—
Eric E. Harrison,
Arkansas Online,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Whenever the two former University of South Carolina teammates would chat during Week 5, Dowdle would have a premonition.—
Mike Kaye
October 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Oct. 2025
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Each movie centered on a character who has a premonition of a horrific and deadly event.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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The event turned out to be a forerunner to the UN Earth Summit.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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