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
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 July 2025
The Season 2 finale keeps the characters in Seattle but with more foreboding aesthetics.
—Daron James, IndieWire, 27 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
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
The Season 2 finale keeps the characters in Seattle but with more foreboding aesthetics.
—Daron James, IndieWire, 27 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
-
Thoughts of all the beautiful, mundane, familiar things that make life so sweet had turned sour in my ominous fortune-telling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Athletique There is something edgy yet soft about a funnel-neck in a technical fabric—lean in and pair a wind- and water-resistant shell with trousers and sneakers for a touch of sport, or style it with a pencil skirt and kitten heels for a more feminine feel.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and baobab extract give the powder its silky feel and keep your skin from drying out, while amethyst powder and quartz impart a soft, radiant glow.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Dixon looks ahead with a mix of optimism and dread.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has united the parties in a sense of dread that the country has arrived at a dangerous place.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wrapped in millennial pink while sporting desk plaques reading #girlboss and #bossbabe, she was sold through autobiographies, TED Talks, and Instagram feeds promising that hustle could turn anyone into a CEO.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Conrad immediately rejected that idea, promising that his love for her had nothing to do with his mom.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Whatever, Dever quickly recanted her earlier precise testimony to the FBI about the sinister doings by those two dodgy cops behind Karen Read’s SUV.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Haunted Carwash was the sinister concoction of spooky enthusiasts Long Vo and Veronica Young of Huntington Beach.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Many are anticipating words of wisdom or premonitions from Masaryk, perhaps a warning about the impending war or the threat coming from Russia.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The quickening of time will soon expose a partial, temporary truth, lodged within my grandmother’s premonition.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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