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
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
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 June 2025
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
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
Andrew Skeet and Nathan Klein’s orchestral original score sets an appropriate tone of mournful foreboding.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 June 2025
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
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
-
For a start, everything felt much more enclosed, thanks primarily to the fibre-glass panels installed as the inner section of the roof at the same time as both ends were covered in 1963, giving a greenhouse-like feel.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Swap in vintage textiles, plaid pillows, monogrammed linens, or botanical tea towels—little touches that make a home feel collected and personal.—
Lauren Jones,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 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
-
The move, which had been expected for weeks, is nonetheless being greeted with dread inside the news division.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But few Dracula adaptations can summon the depth of feeling and atmospheric dread of Tod Browning's 1931 adaptation.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 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
-
Despite that, the president keeps promising to roll out new ones.—
October 1,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Is their entire a life a facade for something more sinister?—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Drawn in by her fortune and allure, Calvin accepts an invitation aboard her superyacht Eternity, only to realize her glamorous world hides sinister secrets.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The earlier photo feels like a premonition.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
-
How did their mother deal with this premonition?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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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The event turned out to be a forerunner to the UN Earth Summit.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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