foreboding

American  

[fawr-boh-ding, fohr-] / fɔrˈboʊ dɪŋ, foʊr- /

noun

1. a prediction; portent.

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

---

adjective

1. that forebodes, especially evil.

foreboding British  

/ fɔːˈbəʊdɪŋ /

noun

1. a feeling of impending evil, disaster, etc

2. an omen or portent

---

adjective

1. presaging something

Other Word Forms

• forebodingly adverb
• forebodingness noun
• unforeboding adjective

Etymology

Origin of foreboding

1350–1400; Middle English forbodyng (noun); forebode, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

“It’s like being around two people who need to fight. Sometimes the foreboding quiet is exhausting, and you’d rather them just yell at each other.”

From Los Angeles Times

But for locals, keeping the road open and in place remains the priority, even in the foreboding face of climate change.

From Los Angeles Times

And when the future was seen as foreboding, fairs did their best to pave a yellow-brick road.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then the timeline for star freshman Alijah Arenas’ return was pushed back indefinitely, another foreboding sign in a season filled with them.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a place I knew about and it just sounded like an interesting place for him to go that has some foreboding associations with it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apprehension
• dread
• premonition