forebode

[fawr-bohd, fohr-]

verb (used with object)

foreboded, foreboding 

1. to foretell or predict; be an omen of; indicate beforehand; portend.

   clouds that forebode a storm.

   Synonyms: augur, forecast, presage, foreshadow

2. to have a strong inner feeling or notion of (a future misfortune, evil, catastrophe, etc.); have a presentiment of.

verb (used without object)

foreboded, foreboding 

1. to prophesy.

2. to have a presentiment.

forebode

/ fɔːˈbəʊd /

verb

1. to warn of or indicate (an event, result, etc) in advance

2. to have an intuition or premonition of (an event)

Other Word Forms

• foreboder noun
• unforeboded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forebode¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; fore- + bode ¹

Example Sentences

Meanwhile Nathan Johnson’s score of scratchy cellos and foreboding horns pairs well with a dramatic burst of organ music — one of many goofy-great jump scares goosed up by the editor Bob Ducsay.

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Consider the foreboding for England if they were to lose.

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There was a foreboding feeling before kickoff for a home team whose stadium was awash in the color of the visitors.

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We entered the final 10 minutes and the sense of foreboding began to grow.

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From the celebration of the deceased known as Día de los Muertos, to the foreboding thrills and life lessons underpinning Latin America’s fiendish folklore, spooky things are as revered as they are feared.

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Related Words

• presage