Synonyms of foresee

foresee

verb

fȯr-ˈsē 

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand

a freak accident that no one could possibly have foreseen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anticipate
• predict
• divine
• fear
• envision
• foreknow
• foretell
• envisage
• prevision
• presage
• forecast
• visualize
• perceive
• prognosticate
• foreshadow
• prophesy
• forefeel
• prefigure
• dread
• forewarn
• augur
• alert
• caution
• discern
• preview
• apprehend
• foretoken
• descry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foresee different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foresee are anticipate, divine, and foreknow. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

When could anticipate be used to replace foresee?

Although the words anticipate and foresee have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When is it sensible to use foreknow instead of foresee?

The synonyms foreknow and foresee are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foresee

But their twin ascents could not have been foreseen based on fair-to-middlin’ careers with the Bay Area schools. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

The storms are foreseen to bring quarter-sized hail (1 inch). —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026

But some observers foresee the nickel’s ultimate demise, given the steady march of inflation and the gradual erosion of purchasing power in a five-cent coin. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026

Weeks after slashing his staff by 40%, Jack Dorsey, CEO of payments company Block, foresees middle management’s complete extinction. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026