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
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Recent Examples of foreboding
Robert English, EW.com, 30 July 2025
Series creators even issued a foreboding warning imploring fans to refrain from online harassment as the angst of the season plays out.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
His artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, mixed-media assemblages, mosaics, photographs, and film, are full of mood and foreboding.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
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
Series creators even issued a foreboding warning imploring fans to refrain from online harassment as the angst of the season plays out.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Noun
The series has so much escapist potential in its initial episodes, poking at the absurdities of abundant wealth and ladling in so much silly foreboding, only to squander it because the series is unable to create anything resembling an emotional payoff.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
His artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, mixed-media assemblages, mosaics, photographs, and film, are full of mood and foreboding.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 31 Mar. 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
-
Lately, some employees are noticing an ominous trend in their career trajectories.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Giants tanked immediately after acquiring a high-profile superstar with a nine-figure contract, which was inexplicable, unexpected and ominous.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Switching to pricier papers specifically designed for inkjets can boost an ink tank printer's text quality and line graphics to at least match a laser, but the different paper types have a noticeably different feel than standard plain paper.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
-
It was used on pretty pumps and as a panel on suede ballerina sneakers, giving the athletic style an elegant feel.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 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
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Nonetheless, Lloyd's production is handsomely realized, with striking silhouetttes courtesy of Jon Clark and unnerving sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, who add a low whirr of dread to the existential fable.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
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Jon Clark’s no-place-to-hide lighting unnervingly brightens Beckett’s shadowy world but without losing its sense of dread, allowing both light and dark at the end of this infinite tunnel.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The reactionary league is constantly futzing after other versions of the sport implement fun rules, or promising to address unfairness when sensational NFL playoff battles have ended without a quarterback deity such as Peyton Manning or Josh Allen touching the ball.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones.—
October 1,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, things take a sinister turn when Laura's followers enter the room, undress, and begin passing the baby around.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
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What starts as a strained father-daughter relationship soon evolves into something far more sinister.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The earlier photo feels like a premonition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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How did their mother deal with this premonition?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 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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Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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