Foreboding — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /(ˌ)fȯr-ˈbō-diŋ/ fore·bod·ing

Meaning & Definition of Foreboding

Foreboding (noun)

  1. the act of one who forebodes; also, an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evil, portent

Foreboding (adjective)

  1. indicative of or marked by foreboding

Foreboding (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come

    "foreboding clouds began to gather"

    similar: baleful, dire, direful, doomy, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, minatory, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening
    related: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched, discouraging, disheartening, hopeless, unfavorable, unpromising, unpropitious, ill-fated, ill-starred, star-crossed, troubled, unfortunate, unlucky, evil, malign, malignant
    opposite: unthreatening
    near: auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous

Foreboding (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: premonition, presage, presentiment, prognostication
    related: anticipation, foreknowledge, feel, insight, intuition, augury, omen, portent, sign, impression, suspicion, agitation, alarm, anxiety, anxiousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, care, concern, disquiet, doubt, dread, fear, misgiving, nervousness, perturbation, unease, uneasiness, worry, foresight, prescience

  2. 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"

    similar: augury, auspice, boding, foreshadowing, omen, portent, prefiguring, presage, straw in the wind
    related: forerunner, harbinger, herald, precursor, foretaste, hint, inkling, intimation, suggestion, forewarning, forecast, foretelling, prediction, prognostication, prophecy, badge, mark, note, token, divination

  3. suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune

    "a pessimist who is always overcome by a sense of foreboding before flying on an airplane"

    similar: alarm, apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread, misgiving
    related: agitation, anxiety, anxiousness, concern, disquiet, disquietude, distress, disturbance, fearfulness, funk, perturbation, solicitude, suspense, unease, uneasiness, scruple, worry, doubt, incertitude, mistrust, suspiciousness, uncertainty, wariness, defeatism, pessimism, foreknowledge, premonition, presage, presentiment
    near: anticipation, excitement, hope, hopefulness, confidence, optimism, sanguinity

Foreboding (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome

    "the dry summer doesn't forebode well for the harvest"

    similar: auguring, boding, promising, bidding fair
    related: forecasting, foretelling, predicting, presaging, prognosticating, prophesying, forewarning, warning, anticipating, divining, foreknowing, foreseeing, betokening, foreshadowing, harbingering, portending, prefiguring, presignifying, indicating, signifying, alluding, connoting, hinting, implying, insinuating, intimating, suggesting

Related Entry: Forebode (verb)

Forebode is a different word from Foreboding. The synonyms below are for forebode, not for foreboding.

  1. to show signs of a favorable or successful outcome

    "the dry summer doesn't forebode well for the harvest"

    similar: augur, bode, promise, bid fair
    related: forecast, foretell, predict, presage, prognosticate, prophesy, forewarn, warn, anticipate, divine, foreknow, foresee, betoken, foreshadow, harbinger, portend, prefigure, presignify, indicate, signify, allude, connote, hint, imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Foreboding

The most common words with a similar meaning to Foreboding:

baleful, dire, direful, doomy, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, minatory, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening, premonition, presage, presentiment, prognostication, augury, auspice, boding, foreshadowing, omen, portent, prefiguring, alarm, apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread, misgiving, straw in the wind, auguring, promising, bidding fair

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Foreboding

Words with the opposite meaning of Foreboding:

unthreatening

Related Words for Foreboding

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich, elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable

Near Antonyms of Foreboding

auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous, anticipation, excitement, hope, hopefulness, confidence, optimism, sanguinity

Word Forms of Foreboding

Derived words: forebodingly (adverb), forebodingness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Foreboding

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Foreboding

What does "Foreboding" mean?

"Foreboding" means the act of one who forebodes; also, an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evil, portent. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the act of one who forebodes; also, an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evil, portent. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Foreboding"?

Other words for "Foreboding" include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious and menacing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Foreboding" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Foreboding"?

There are 170 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Foreboding". Common alternatives include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, minatory and ominous.

What is the opposite of "Foreboding"?

Antonyms of "Foreboding" include unthreatening. Near antonyms include auspicious, benign, bright and encouraging.

How do you use "Foreboding" in a sentence?

Examples of "Foreboding" in a sentence: "foreboding clouds began to gather"; "I have this strange foreboding that your ski vacation will not turn out well, so be extra careful"; "used to think that if he saw a blackbird fly over his left shoulder it was a foreboding of harm".

Is "Foreboding" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Foreboding" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Foreboding"?

"Foreboding" is pronounced /(ˌ)fȯr-ˈbō-diŋ/ and divided into syllables as fore·bod·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Foreboding"?

First known use: 14th century.