as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presentiment
That presentiment lies behind the many present expressions of apocalypse.
—
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Toni has been reluctant to let Amalie go out by herself—her bringing back a telescope seems to confirm some kind of fear, or presentiment.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Toni has been reluctant to let Amalie go out by herself—her bringing back a telescope seems to confirm some kind of fear, or presentiment.
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
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The actress previously recalled having a bizarre premonition before director Sam Pinkleton even called her about the role.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Again, people have premonitions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The cotton and linen blend has a durable, high-quality feel that’s soft enough to sleep in but still adds a clean, polished edge to my outfits.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
30 May 2026
-
Amazon shoppers are most impressed by the stretch, fit, and soft feel of these wide-leg jeans, which closely resemble the pair Garner wore.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Carbajal isn’t the only business owner who says fear of immigration agents kept customers home.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
The dramatic raid deepens fears over Turkey’s eroding democracy, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government faces accusations of weaponizing courts against the CHP ahead of future elections.—
Cinar Kiper,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
One person was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving, and four people were arrested on suspicion of felony drug charges.—
Kendrick Calfee
May 24,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2026
-
When the provenance of everything online became suspect, the suspicion spread to everyone — influencers included.—
David S. Bennahum,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
While there were some concerns about Clark’s availability leading into last week’s Fever-Valkyries game, those worries proved short-lived.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
-
There was a worry that Anunoby would once again miss a significant amount of time in the playoffs due to injury.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
To put it plainly, there is no foreboding El Niño cloud that will appear above your house, and many random weather events will still occur that have few, if any, tangible links to the weather phenomenon.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
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The discordant, Bernard Herrmann-esque bursts of María Portugal’s rich score ratchet up the suspense and foreboding.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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