1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I had a nagging presage that the results of my medical tests would not be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the sight of the first robin is always a welcome presage of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to predict
to tell of or describe beforehand
people used to believe that a comet presaged a major event, such as the death of a king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presage
Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
As the ending of the story perhaps presages, Martha is on the cusp of a change in her life.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Time, 28 May 2025
Those wins usually presage a best picture victory, especially because the producers guild uses a preferential ballot similar to the Academy’s.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presage
Noun
The New Moon in Virgo, which occurs shortly after Mercury turns direct, presages really big beginnings throughout the zodiac.
—Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Aug. 2024
As the ending of the story perhaps presages, Martha is on the cusp of a change in her life.
—Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 28 July 2024
Verb
Yet the Foundling’s system was entirely presaged on the idea that some people’s origins need to be concealed.
—Time, 28 May 2025
Those wins usually presage a best picture victory, especially because the producers guild uses a preferential ballot similar to the Academy’s.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presage
Noun
-
Fashion houses such as Hugo Boss and Michael Kors leverage these fibers’ sophisticated feel and drape for premium garments where tactile experience drives consumer perception of quality.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
30 June 2025
-
Go prim and proper with a column silhouette from Emilia Wickstead, or lean into the fairytale feel with a floaty chiffon number from McQueen.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral. 20.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Unlike the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard that meteorologists predicted days in advance, this storm was harder to pinpoint, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Beachler at the time.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
-
The Global Wellness Institute predicts a related category, wellness tourism, will average annual expenditure growth of 16.6% to 2027, noting travel trends that include travel for mental health, sleep and recovery.—
Rafi Golberstein,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
There had actually been a premonition of this in the Angel’s Trumpet painting in his show at Zwirner last spring.—
Dodie Kazanjian,
Vogue,
5 June 2025
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Like its fatal forebears, Bloodlines kicks off with an ominous premonition of mass mortality, albeit one with a slight twist.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Organizations can measure psychological safety data as a precursor to inclusion.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Washington said the firms funneled money to Chinese firms that produce the precursors for fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that has stoked a drug epidemic in the US.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The fear, in fact, is that our continual need to standardize will modernize ourselves out of existence.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
28 June 2025
-
Levine also challenged Ono’s inaction as a pro-Hamas encampment took hold in the heart of Michigan’s campus, causing terror and fear among Jewish students.—
Avi D. Gordon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Appearances aren’t deceptive; the portents are grim.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
12 June 2025
-
Thus, the negative GDP change should not be taken as a portent of looming disaster.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
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The fact Ishiba’s LDP faces an election on July 20 only heightens the BOJ’s worries about the political establishment striking back.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
But plenty of Republicans have expressed worries about the provision as well, imperiling its passage.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Presage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presage. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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