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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of foreboding
Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is already beginning to feel slightly foreboding.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
The iconic saxophone line, in turn, became a foreboding warning to viewers that something bad was about to happen on screen.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The windowless hallways are narrow in the federal building that houses this immigration court, and the agents’ stocky bodies are foreboding in the tight corridors.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
Amar felt something more foreboding.
—Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
This year’s Cannes Film Festival is already beginning to feel slightly foreboding.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Noun
None more so than her best friend, Liza, who is haunted by the foreboding last words Jane said to her.
—Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
The iconic saxophone line, in turn, became a foreboding warning to viewers that something bad was about to happen on screen.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
There was no obvious precipitating event, but the encroachment of Grok seemed foreboding.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The windowless hallways are narrow in the federal building that houses this immigration court, and the agents’ stocky bodies are foreboding in the tight corridors.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreboding
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
-
Nothing sad or ominous to share this week.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
This hooded sweatshirt offers a plush feel and a flattering shape for everyday wear.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
-
The action is explosive, punchy, and never slows down; the plot is kept to a bare minimum, giving it a retro feel; and the targeting system perfectly suits a gamepad for some casual bot-blasting action.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
That Mann and his daughter, at a posh Frankfurt hotel party, glimpse so many remnants of the Nazi era — including Erika’s ex-husband, who collaborated with the regime — is another portent of darkness.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
He's described by officials as a Black male in his late teens with a medium-large build and thick dreads.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
The dread started with a YouTube video.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
New York City's top officials are promising a robust security plan for the New York Knicks championship parade, which is expected to be one of the biggest celebrations in the city's history.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
For the first time in World Cup history, a host nation is at war with one of its participants, though an agreement to halt the conflict suddenly looks promising.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Firth is chilling, pushing his stern, fiercely intelligent demeanor in increasingly sinister directions and bringing nuance and gravity to the lengths Scanlon will go to fulfill his mandate, whatever the cost.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
The supernatural psychological horror, written and helmed by Aster, follows a family rocked by grief, who begins to experience sinister and inexplicable occurrences.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Retroactively, they were interpreted as premonitions of the 1994 violence that saw many thousands of locals, primarily Tutsis, massacred at the hands of Hutu Génocidaires.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
Again, people have premonitions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Kubica was using Renault’s own version of a system developed by a rival that boosted a car’s speed in a straight line, using a clever aerodynamic trick that became the forerunner to the Drag Reduction System (DRS) overtaking aid.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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