definitions

foreboding

[ fawr-boh-ding, fohr- ]
/ fɔrˈboʊ dɪŋ, foʊr- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR foreboding ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a prediction; portent.
a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.; presentiment.

adjective

that forebodes, especially evil.

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RELATED WORDS

apprehension, premonition, dread, anxiety, prognostic, prophecy, augury, prediction, warning, fear, chill, presage, forewarning, presentiment, portent, foretoken, foreshadowing, vibes, apprehensiveness, prenotion

Nearby words

forearm, forearm smash, forearmed, forebear, forebode, foreboding, forebody, forebrain, forecaddie, forecast, forecaster

Origin of foreboding

1350–1400; Middle English forbodyng (noun); see forebode, -ing1, -ing2
Related formsfore·bod·ing·ly, adverbfore·bod·ing·ness, nounun·fore·bod·ing, adjective
Can be confusedforbidding foreboding

Definition for foreboding (2 of 2)

forebode

[ fawr-bohd, fohr- ]
/ fɔrˈboʊd, foʊr- /

verb (used with object), fore·bod·ed, fore·bod·ing.

to foretell or predict; be an omen of; indicate beforehand; portend: clouds that forebode a storm.
to have a strong inner feeling or notion of (a future misfortune, evil, catastrophe, etc.); have a presentiment of.

verb (used without object), fore·bod·ed, fore·bod·ing.

to prophesy.
to have a presentiment.

Origin of forebode

First recorded in 1595–1605; fore- + bode1
Related formsfore·bod·er, nounun·fore·bod·ed, adjective
Can be confusedforbade forbid forbidden forebode
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for foreboding

British Dictionary definitions for foreboding (1 of 2)

foreboding

/ (fɔːˈbəʊdɪŋ) /

noun

a feeling of impending evil, disaster, etc
an omen or portent

adjective

presaging something
Derived Formsforebodingly, adverbforebodingness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for foreboding (2 of 2)

forebode

/ (fɔːˈbəʊd) /

verb

to warn of or indicate (an event, result, etc) in advance
to have an intuition or premonition of (an event)
Derived Formsforeboder, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012