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.
Reinhart, the BNY economist, said the absence of foreshadowing makes Waller’s dissent more consequential.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Depictions of the digital afterlife in shows such as “Black Mirror” can feel bleak, foreshadowing a dystopian future where people get resurrected from the grave as chatbots and robots.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025
Agnes cares for her second daughter so devoutly that her worry can’t help but portend tragedy, and Zhao and O’Farrell’s foreshadowing is as subtle as a sword to the spleen.
From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025
Norman, who spent 331 weeks as world No. 1, previously attempted to start a rival golf series in 1994, foreshadowing LIV’s challenge to the golf establishment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
Rachel fiercely putting in overtime, foreshadowing a marital track record distinguished for quantity if not quality.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
