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
David Katz,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Amar felt something more foreboding.
—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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
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
So, her strategy shifts to polite requests, and then more foreboding scenarios where her lawyer calls his security contacts — the kind who carry assault rifles over their back.
—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Amar felt something more foreboding.
—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
That’s not to say the decisions were easy and lacked a sense of foreboding.
—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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
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
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The movie is an apex of film noir, filled with dark shadows, moody lighting and ominous swaying palm trees.
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If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
Noun
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The chili brings the comfort-food feel, while the red link gives it a little more kick and personality than your regular dog.
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For the second consecutive year, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers face off in the first round, and their joint interview Saturday at Sonoma Raceway came off with the feel of a heavyweight weigh-in — absent the verbal jousting.
Noun
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Always alert to mood swings, Hollywood this week is coping with some dauntingly positive portents.
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But there is reason for hope, because the season-one finale of Widow’s Bay is like a beacon in the dark, and all the signs and portents are lining up.
Noun
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Great productions of Sondheim musicals, and this is one of those, always fill you with a certain existential dread.
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Dong recalled that dread ran deep because his tiny boat might capsize if the winds and waves picked up.
Verb
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Opponents of selling artifacts recovered from the wreckage say the company is bound by a 1990s agreement that gave RMS Titanic exclusive salvage rights to the ship in exchange for promising to never sell those items.
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Netflix is promising to take it much further, globally in fact, as the streamer picked the film up out of Cannes and will be shepherding through awards season as well.
Adjective
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Disclosure Day sees Daniel (O'Connor) and Margaret (Blunt) racing to evade the sinister Wardex corporation with the ultimate goal of disclosure.
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Over the past decade, Pride Nights have morphed into something much larger, radical and sinister, in my opinion.
Noun
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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.
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The actress previously recalled having a bizarre premonition before director Sam Pinkleton even called her about the role.
Noun
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The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
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In 2007, the Oatley family opened Qualia, their 30-acre flagship property and the forerunner of Australia’s luxury lodges.
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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