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

During her period of mourning, Queen Emma adapted the jewel to the strict standards of the time by replacing the rubies with diamonds, a possibility foreseen since the original design. —Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 25 Jan. 2026

Mind you, the Bulldogs couldn’t have foreseen this group because Bryant transferred in from Otay Ranch at the end of his freshman season. —Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026

Those donations were intended to help build the Hoosiers into a title contender, but even Cuban couldn't foresee a rise this dramatic. —Arkansas Online, 19 Jan. 2026

However, Mulongo does not foresee chaos on polling day. —Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026