foreshadowing

something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event the hero's strange encounter with a grave digger is often seen as a foreshadowing of his own death Synonyms augury, auspice, boding, foreboding, omen, portent, prefiguring, presageRelated Words forerunner, harbinger, herald, precursor; foretaste, hint, inkling, intimation, suggestion; forewarning; forecast, foretelling, prediction, prognostication, prophecy (also prophesy); badge, mark, note, token; divination