presage

American  

[pres-ij, pres-ij, pri-seyj] / ˈprɛs ɪdʒ, ˈprɛs ɪdʒ, prɪˈseɪdʒ /

noun

1. a presentiment or foreboding.

   Synonyms:

   premonition, indication

2. something that portends or foreshadows a future event; an omen, prognostic, or warning indication.

   Synonyms:

   token, sign, portent

3. prophetic significance; augury.

4. foresight; prescience.

5. Archaic. a forecast or prediction.

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verb (used with object)

presaged, presaging

1. to have a presentiment of.

2. to portend, foreshow, or foreshadow.

   The incidents may presage war.

3. to forecast; predict.

verb (used without object)

presaged, presaging

1. to make a prediction.

2. Archaic. to have a presentiment.

presage British  

noun

1. an intimation or warning of something about to happen; portent; omen

2. a sense of what is about to happen; foreboding

3. archaic a forecast or prediction

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verb

1. (tr) to have a presentiment of

2. (tr) to give a forewarning of; portend

3. (intr) to make a prediction

Other Word Forms

• presageful
  adjective
• presagefully
  adverb
• presager
  noun
• unpresaged
  adjective
• unpresaging
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of presage

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Middle French presage < Latin praesāgium presentiment, forewarning, equivalent to praesāg ( us ) having a foreboding ( prae- pre- + sāgus prophetic; cf. sagacious) + -ium -ium

Explanation

A presage is a sign that something bad is about to happen, like when you get that queasy feeling in your stomach because your mom found out you skipped band practice to go to the movies. Presage, pronounced "PREH-sige," can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, presage is a warning or omen of bad things to come, like a strange quiet and stillness in the air, presage to the coming tornado. As a verb, presage means "to make a prediction or give a warning of what's to come." A terrible end-of-season football game might presage the struggles that the team will face next season.

Example Sentences

Presage, prēs′āj, n. something that gives warning of a future event: a foreboding: a presentiment.—v.t.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Presage, not prestige, when something is meant that foreshows a future event; an omen.

From Every-Day Errors of Speech by Meredith, L. P.

Should I succeed, and melt their rocky Hearts, I'd take it as a Presage of my Pardon, And die with Comfort when I see you live.

From Ponteach The Savages of America by Moses, Montrose Jonas

I felt my heart as turn'd to snow, Presage, perhaps, that happiness decays!

From The Sonnets, Triumphs, and Other Poems of Petrarch by Campbell, Thomas

The more skilful Sailors took Courage at this happy Presage of Deliverance.

From Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton by Defoe, Daniel

Related Words

• augur
• forebode
• foresee
• foreshadow
• foretell
• portend
• signify