as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of presentiment
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
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
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
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
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
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
-
The production’s most elaborate sequence to shoot was Alex’s premonition, in which audiences would see the inside of the plane tear apart.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
-
The ensuing explosion incinerates them both. 22. North Bay Bridge collapse (Final Destination 5) The premonition that kicks off Final Destination 5 starts off weak.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The 26-year-old Georgian is a bit between power forward and center positionally and isn’t an elite athlete, but has plus ball skills for his size, a respectable shot and good feel.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The good ones help cut down on breakage, smooth out frizz, and can make every at-home blow-dry feel professional.—
Daisy Maldonado,
Glamour,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The film raked in what would today equal nearly $2.7 billion and left a legacy of fear that fueled shark culls, trophy hunts, and policies rooted more in panic than science.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Last week, Venetians gathered together to protest the couple's upcoming wedding festivities over fears of disruptions in a city that is already impacted by mass tourism.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Or indeed there will be suspicions of Russian perfidy - as happened over Syria.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
See Season 7 schedule McDonald's Snack Wraps are officially coming back: Here's when Huge 400-pound alligator captured in North Carolina on 'suspicion of being a dinosaur' A new Lululemon dress is stirring up the internet.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
The series has so much escapist potential in its initial episodes, poking at the absurdities of abundant wealth and ladling in so much silly foreboding, only to squander it because the series is unable to create anything resembling an emotional payoff.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
-
And despite the reasonable forebodings of Fleming and others, this time the outcome from geoengineering interventions should be different, though of course any intervention must be weighed against the unintended consequences that may follow.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Dec. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share