Synonyms of presage

presage 1 of 2

noun

ˈpre-sij 

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

• feel
• premonition
• fear
• worry
• presentiment
• suspicion
• foreboding
• anticipation
• prognostication
• portent
• anxiety
• omen
• sign
• insight
• intuition
• foreknowledge
• concern
• doubt
• impression
• apprehension
• perturbation
• augury
• unease
• agitation
• nervousness
• dread
• uneasiness
• alarm
• apprehensiveness
• foresight
• prescience
• disquiet
• anxiousness
• care
• misgiving

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

• forerunner
• portent
• precursor
• omen
• hint
• prediction
• herald
• foreshadowing
• suggestion
• augury
• foreboding
• harbinger
• prefiguring
• boding
• straw in the wind
• prophecy
• foretaste
• auspice
• badge
• inkling
• intimation
• forecast
• forewarning
• foretelling
• prognostication
• mark
• token
• divination
• note

presage

2 of 2

verb

ˈpre-sij 

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

• predict
• read
• foretell
• anticipate
• augur
• warn
• forecast
• prognosticate
• announce
• prophesy
• call
• portend
• foresee
• promise
• bode
• vaticinate
• forewarn
• alert
• forebode
• caution
• herald
• divine
• declare
• proclaim
• foreknow

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• describe
• tell
• relate
• report
• recount
• narrate
• recite

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of presage

Noun

The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026

For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025

Verb

Their ’90s output handily presaged the logic of media like the shows that aired on Adult Swim, adapting the bounciness and surrealism of childhood stories to biting adult sensibilities. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026

The backlash to the Barbara decision presages another legal and cultural battle over the meaning of the 14th Amendment and its role in the debate over who is recognized as an American citizen, observers say. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!