foretell

[ fawr-tel, fohr- ]

verb (used with object)

, fore·told, fore·tell·ing.

1. to tell of beforehand; predict; prophesy.

   Synonyms: forebode, presage, augur, forecast

foretell

/ fɔːˈtɛl /

verb

1. tr; may take a clause as object to tell or indicate (an event, a result, etc) beforehand; predict

Derived Forms

• foreˈteller, noun

Other Words From

• fore·teller noun
• unfore·told adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foretell¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, foretell is from the Middle English word fortell. See fore-, tell ¹

Example Sentences

There are also players who didn’t have much of a role last season but managed to showcase their talents in this year’s Summer League — possibly foretelling good things.

From FiveThirtyEight

Its survival now foretells the fate of the oceans’ ecological health.

From Nautilus

On Thursday, Twitter posts and news reports foretold the public’s anxiety that this song would add insult to this week’s shame.

From The Daily Beast

Downgrade teams that exit early from their conference tournamentsThere was a time when winning your conference tournament foretold March Madness success.

From Washington Post

There was a mid-1960s spike in college closures that foretold a new era of austerity for which students and parents would pay the price.

From Washington Post

All was not well, and how it would end, even this master politician could not foretell.

From The Daily Beast

This year there has been only one fuzzy paparazzi photo of the pair and even it seemed to foretell the end.

From The Daily Beast

The growing theme of anti-establishment sites might just foretell the months ahead.

From The Daily Beast

Human sagacity cannot explain these facts as they exist to-day, much less could it foretell them three thousand years ago.

From Project Gutenberg

I can read thought, I can foretell the future, and I can sometimes make things happen fortunately, if I try very hard.

From Project Gutenberg

You claim to read minds and foretell the future, and you do not understand that she is fine and honest and utterly admirable!

From Project Gutenberg

I cannot remember that either Sakya Muni or any of his followers assumed the power to foretell the future.

From Project Gutenberg

The country was on the very brink of a civil war, of which no man could foretell the duration or the result.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• anticipate
• augur
• foreshadow
• portend
• prefigure
• presage
• prophesy
• signify