Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

foretell

American  
[fawr-tel, fohr-] / fɔrˈtɛl, foʊr- /

verb (used with object)

foretold, foretelling

  1. to tell of beforehand; predict; prophesy.

    Synonyms:
    forebode, presage, augur, forecast
foretell British  
/ fɔːˈtɛl /

verb

  1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to tell or indicate (an event, a result, etc) beforehand; predict

"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

Other Word Forms

  • foreteller noun
  • unforetold adjective

Etymology

Origin of foretell

First recorded in 1250–1300, foretell is from the Middle English word fortell. See fore-, tell 1

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.