as in warning
serving as or offering a warning
a moderate tremor that some seismologists have interpreted as a premonitory sign of the catastrophic quake that is inevitable
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Recent Examples of premonitory
As is the way with these premonitory lists, not all games are guaranteed 2025 releases.
—
Matt Gardner, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Fashion observers had also noticed that Swift had introduced a premonitory blue bodysuit into her wardrobe at the Tuesday show.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
In 2020, four years since their first date, Ms. Carswell started having premonitory dreams of Ms. Wynn walking back into her life once again.
—Tiana Randall, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Every flourish — a closeup of horses’ hooves pounding the mud, an action scene rendered in partial slow-motion, a sudden gasp as Peter’s wife, Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa), awakens from a premonitory nightmare — suggests a filmmaker constrained by the visual grammar of the Hollywood action flick.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
My premonitory sense of what her novels were about—Mrs. Dalloway is about some lady, The Waves is about … waves, To the Lighthouse is about going to a lighthouse—turned out to be basically accurate.
—Patricia Lockwood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2023
The mystery and melancholy of a street, De Chirico’s inspired phrase for his premonitory modern painting of city lights and shadows, could be the title of the whole exhibition.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
Seventy-six people wrote to Barker claiming premonitory visions of the Aberfan disaster.
—Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022
The sense of premonitory dread sets in early, as the boys, ages 11 to 16, and their coach leave practice on their bicycles to explore the nearby Tham Luang cave as part of an impromptu birthday celebration for one of the players.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2022
Matt Gardner, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Fashion observers had also noticed that Swift had introduced a premonitory blue bodysuit into her wardrobe at the Tuesday show.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
In 2020, four years since their first date, Ms. Carswell started having premonitory dreams of Ms. Wynn walking back into her life once again.
—Tiana Randall, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Every flourish — a closeup of horses’ hooves pounding the mud, an action scene rendered in partial slow-motion, a sudden gasp as Peter’s wife, Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa), awakens from a premonitory nightmare — suggests a filmmaker constrained by the visual grammar of the Hollywood action flick.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
My premonitory sense of what her novels were about—Mrs. Dalloway is about some lady, The Waves is about … waves, To the Lighthouse is about going to a lighthouse—turned out to be basically accurate.
—Patricia Lockwood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2023
The mystery and melancholy of a street, De Chirico’s inspired phrase for his premonitory modern painting of city lights and shadows, could be the title of the whole exhibition.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
Seventy-six people wrote to Barker claiming premonitory visions of the Aberfan disaster.
—Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022
The sense of premonitory dread sets in early, as the boys, ages 11 to 16, and their coach leave practice on their bicycles to explore the nearby Tham Luang cave as part of an impromptu birthday celebration for one of the players.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for premonitory
Adjective
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The bureau also will post more warning notices at 750 livestock sale facilities and review other potential changes to federal regulations.—
SCOTT SONNER,
Star Tribune,
27 July 2021
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In response, statistical authorities around the world could do little but issue warning press releases.—
Andrew Whitby,
Time,
17 Apr. 2020
Adjective
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And while the formal rules on travel have relaxed, the admonitory official language is unchanged.—
John Liu,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2023
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Satire has always had an admonitory function, and besides, some people are so obnoxious that a writer has to slow-walk the reader through their awfulness.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2022
Cite this Entry
“Premonitory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premonitory. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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