foreshadowing
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of foreshadowing
First recorded in 1845–50; foreshadow ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Foreshadowing is an advance sign or warning of what is to come in the future. The author of a mystery novel might use foreshadowing in an early chapter of her book to give readers an inkling of an impending murder. When you want to let people know about an event that is yet to occur, you can use foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is used as a literary device to tease readers about plot turns that will occur later in the story. A fortune teller might use foreshadowing, warning that a short life line is a sign of some impending disaster.
Vocabulary lists containing foreshadowing
Power Prefix: fore-
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Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
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The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So far, neither side is showing signs of backing down, foreshadowing a fight that could take years.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
It is ironic that Harrison’s protest against taxation ended up foreshadowing private markets’ capture of artistic value.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Reinhart, the BNY economist, said the absence of foreshadowing makes Waller’s dissent more consequential.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Even the announcement of the Ashes squad was an anticlimactic foreshadowing of things to come.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2025
I’ve replayed the day over and over in my head so many times and have written down every single detail, but I still can’t find the foreshadowing.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
