as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
foreboding clouds began to gather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I have this strange foreboding that your ski vacation will not turn out well, so be extra careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in portent
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
used to think that if he saw a blackbird fly over his left shoulder it was a foreboding of harm
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dread
suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune
a pessimist who is always overcome by a sense of foreboding before flying on an airplane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also forboding
as in promising
to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome
the dry summer doesn't forebode well for the harvest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 foreboding
Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
An ember doesn’t choose its path based on property value or paparazzi presence, and when one part of Los Angeles burns, foreboding smoke hangs over the whole metro area.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
Kayla Aletha Welch, Longreads, 19 Nov. 2024
In his images of the World Trade Center, the passage of time has once again added to his foreboding.
—Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Adjective
For those who oppose Trump’s policies, this is what makes Trump’s second term more foreboding than the first.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
An ember doesn’t choose its path based on property value or paparazzi presence, and when one part of Los Angeles burns, foreboding smoke hangs over the whole metro area.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
His aunts offered us tortillas to warm our hands while his uncle expressed dark forebodings about our chances of success.
—Kayla Aletha Welch, Longreads, 19 Nov. 2024
In his images of the World Trade Center, the passage of time has once again added to his foreboding.
—Benjamin Moser, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foreboding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreboding
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacramento Bee,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The trailer is pretty ominous, hinting at the many disruptions to the relative peace at the Jackson compound that are to come in Season 2.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Their frequent appearances conjure an intimate feel, like gaming and smoking with your friends during an all-night session.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Here, oversized glass and metal pendants paired with black accents and industrial finishes gives the rustic kitchen a distinctly modern feel.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Weinstein’s thuggish joke was just one portent of the edgy, borderline sinister air that permeated the party from the very beginning.—
Scott Huver,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The natural threat of the caterpillars has shown up in cultural expressions as a symbolic portent of human mortality, Battisti points out.—
Ivan Amato,
Scientific American,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Over the past few weeks, my family has watched with dread as the Trump administration has closed the borders of the United States to asylum seekers and refugees just like in World War II.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Feb. 2025
-
For many, there's a feeling of dread associated with software updates to your favorite gadget.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
Ars Technica,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
As one manifestation of Carter’s commitment, his administration began to oppose loans from international financial institutions to rights-abusing governments, promising to provide financial support only after these countries demonstrated concrete improvements on human rights.—
Michael Posner,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Was Knies’ promising rookie season not necessarily a sign of things to come?—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Nature intrudes on the innies’ lives in increasingly sinister ways, as when they’re spirited into the wilderness for a quasi-religious ORTBO, or Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurrence.—
Katy Waldman,
The New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Lithgow’s character humiliates Rush’s character by forcing him to perform a humiliating act on the dementia doll, reveling in the deeply sinister debauchery.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But his coach had a premonition that his run for a title could happen.—
Steve Gorches,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2025
-
The movie’s terrifying dénouement emerges in another seven-minute shot, in which hints and premonitions are transformed into passions and horrors and in which landscape—and, as per the title, a seascape—appear not simply as backdrops but as dramatic and intellectual engines of the story.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In 1914, Frank Newman opened the Royal Theatre which was a forerunner to movie palaces in the city, a significant departure from nickelodeons.—
Michael Wells,
Kansas City Star,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Hammond, the school’s forerunner, won its fourth straight 3A sectional title in 2008.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreboding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreboding. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share