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
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
-
There had actually been a premonition of this in the Angel’s Trumpet painting in his show at Zwirner last spring.—
Dodie Kazanjian,
Vogue,
5 June 2025
-
Like its fatal forebears, Bloodlines kicks off with an ominous premonition of mass mortality, albeit one with a slight twist.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Go prim and proper with a column silhouette from Emilia Wickstead, or lean into the fairytale feel with a floaty chiffon number from McQueen.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
30 June 2025
-
Fashion houses such as Hugo Boss and Michael Kors leverage these fibers’ sophisticated feel and drape for premium garments where tactile experience drives consumer perception of quality.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The fear, in fact, is that our continual need to standardize will modernize ourselves out of existence.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
28 June 2025
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And any fear—and hence bigger discounts—caused by overwrought debt worries just makes our opportunity even sweeter.—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Their suspicions heightened when Shaw claimed to them that one month before Ben died, Lynlee allegedly plotted to kill Ben by giving him a poisonous protein shake laced with 15 Percocet pills.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
28 June 2025
-
Since the sender address and branding are authentic, recipients are more likely to trust the communication without suspicion.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Their visits to the ophthalmologist are now every six months, but Maggie admits the worry never quite fades.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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Meanwhile, there was hand-wringing in the NASCAR garage over headlines about high crime and worries about whether the Cup Series cars would be able to have a good show on such a narrow course.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
Noun
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Early in President Donald Trump’s second term, European leaders and many U.S. defense and security experts were anticipating this week’s NATO summit with foreboding.—
Howard LaFranchi,
Christian Science Monitor,
23 June 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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