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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Retroactively, they were interpreted as premonitions of the 1994 violence that saw many thousands of locals, primarily Tutsis, massacred at the hands of Hutu Génocidaires.
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The actress previously recalled having a bizarre premonition before director Sam Pinkleton even called her about the role.
Noun
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The chili brings the comfort-food feel, while the red link gives it a little more kick and personality than your regular dog.
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For the second consecutive year, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers face off in the first round, and their joint interview Saturday at Sonoma Raceway came off with the feel of a heavyweight weigh-in — absent the verbal jousting.
Noun
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With the end of the month fast approaching, the migrant exodus has continued as fear of further mob attacks spreads through poor neighborhoods and informal settlements.
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Agents from Hawthorne to Manhattan Beach, Venice and Santa Monica report early inquiries on $5-million-plus properties, raising fears of speculative price spikes and even tighter inventory.
Noun
-
Anderson was arrested on June 24 on suspicion of capital murder.
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No one immediately claimed the strike, but suspicion fell on Iran.
Noun
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Any worries about complacency were wiped away in the third minute when Auston Trusty fired home the opening goal and caused the stands at SoFi Stadium to shake (literally) with the noise and jumping fans.
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Reformation’s move toward the open market also signals that the time might be right — with Wall Street hitting all-time highs despite worries about inflation and AI — for fashion to jump in.
Noun
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With each encounter, the mystery of Molineux’s whereabouts mounts, though the sense of foreboding is cut by the comedy of our hero’s haplessness.
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The six-minute quasi-title track works as a centerpiece, its compressed qanun (a stringed Middle Eastern instrument, played here by the acclaimed Syrian musician Maya Youssef) looping in the background as electronic pulses, foreboding pianos, and disembodied voices swirl around the mix.
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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