presentiment

noun

pri-ˈzen-tə-mənt How to pronounce presentiment (audio)
Definition of presentimentnext
as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen a nagging presentiment of danger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
  1. premonition
  2. feel
  3. fear
  4. suspicion
  5. worry
  6. foreboding
Noun
  • But Weiss’ premonitions about what was ahead now certainly seem prophetic at the time.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In these transitional months, everyone has their own premonitions about what trends will dominate the season ahead, but what will actually happen is pretty much anyone’s guess.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of premonition
Noun
  • Old furniture fills the rooms, giving the place the domestic, lived-in feel of a family home that has grown with its occupants.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The ambitious production presented several challenges, but none more so than shooting the complex water sequences that give the film its blockbuster feel.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of feel
Noun
  • Fallout from the data sale Then there are fears this case may set precedent or have long-term consequences for workers.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Hours of silence and speculation in the aftermath added to a sense of fear in Saudi Arabia and across the region.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • Teachers, principals or other school officials are among the professionals considered by Missouri law to be mandated reporters and are required to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect directly to state authorities.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Related Stories With 2,000 souls on board, the stakes are high and suspicion spreads, as the mission turned murder investigation slowly transforms into a global security crisis.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspicion
Noun
  • Plush carpeting, touches of turquoise in a largely eggshell-forward palette, tasteful landscape paintings that border on abstract, and spacious private balconies make up the subtle suite design, allaying any worries of dowdy beach resort decor.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Those moves have helped the stock market climb a wall of worry in the intervening years, including in 2026.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Like MBD_Trans Am, the video has a foreboding din for its score, except that in this case the horror is even more explicit.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • And here’s where all the flash-forward business this season finally comes into thematic focus, imbuing the scene with an Old-Testament style foreboding.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreboding

Browse Nearby Words

presented
presentiment
presentiments
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Cite this Entry

“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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