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
Daron James, IndieWire, 27 May 2025
There’s nonetheless a difference between vibey vagueness that creates an air of foreboding mystique and fuzziness that obscures key aspects of character and story.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2025
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Even the objective comedy of this storyline is framed with foreboding, like the water gun fight.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
The Season 2 finale keeps the characters in Seattle but with more foreboding aesthetics.
—Daron James, IndieWire, 27 May 2025
There’s nonetheless a difference between vibey vagueness that creates an air of foreboding mystique and fuzziness that obscures key aspects of character and story.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2025
Noun
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
Even the objective comedy of this storyline is framed with foreboding, like the water gun fight.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 9 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
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Scenes of terror and military might flash on the screen throughout the teaser, overlayed with an ominous monologue about the end times.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The band performance provides a game day feel, and the off-site practices add to the anticipation for the players.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
23 Aug. 2025
-
New York Italian feel — was booked out for 90 days and a second dining room had to be built.—
Harper Stephanopoulos,
CNN Money,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Televisual séances are no longer nightly, much less consensual, which is why the move by CBS is seen as a portent of a more general house cleaning over at NBC and ABC.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Internet's Emotional Reaction The video's initial reactions on TikTok were a mix of playful dread and pure joy.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Frost’s pastoral landscapes are haunted by loss and shadowed by anxiety, doubt and dread.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But even without European football, and after a decade in which Old Trafford has at times resembled a graveyard for promising careers, the lure of Manchester United — in terms of glamour, prestige and finance — remains powerful.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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In a corner Reluctance to cut welfare spending and raise taxes, while promising big-ticket spending on the NHS, defense, infrastructure and education, means that Labour has boxed itself into a corner, Peel Hunt's Chief Economist Kallum Pickering told CNBC.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Normally, that would be a recipe for some edge-of-your-seat action, although Ben Hopkins’ script makes clear early on that the bomb is just a distraction, while an even more sinister plot is ticking within the blast radius.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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However, when Jess senses something sinister and then mysteriously disappears, Frida must uncover the truth before meeting the same fate.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Years before the storm, Tonie Waltman had been told a premonition of its disastrous aftermath.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Jones had no premonition that football would stick.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
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Bittler has been with Paramount (and its forerunner Viacom) for some 25 years, most recently as executive vp communications for the company’s kids and family division, including Nickelodeon, Awesomeness and kids and family series at Paramount+.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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