foretell
Americanverb (used with object)
-
foretells,
present (3rd person singular)
-
foretold,
past participle, past
-
foretelling
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
foretellsimple
-
foretellssimple
-
have foretoldperfect
-
has foretoldperfect
-
am foretellingprogressive
-
are foretellingprogressive
-
is foretellingprogressive
-
have been foretellingperfect progressive
-
has been foretellingperfect progressive
Past
-
foretoldsimple
-
had foretoldperfect
-
was foretellingprogressive
-
were foretellingprogressive
-
had been foretellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of foretell
First recorded in 1250–1300, foretell is from the Middle English word fortell. See fore-, tell 1
Explanation
To foretell is to predict or hint at something. Some people believe that two crows foretell good luck for the person who sees them. Signs and omens foretell good or bad fortune, and symbolism in the early chapters of a novel can foretell events that happen near the end of the book. Longtime sailors sometimes say that a pink morning sky foretells bad weather later in the day. In each case, something is being foreshadowed or forecast. Fore is an Old English prefix that means "before" or "earlier," and it's combined here with tell, "to reckon or consider."
Vocabulary lists containing foretell
Friday the 13th
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Briar Rose" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
A high ADR premium doesn’t necessarily foretell disaster—in 2008-09, TSMC’s fat premium was the result of Taiwanese shares’ falling much more than the ADRs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Social media is awash in content about the arcane: how-tos for spellcasting, psychics claiming to foretell the future and endless posts about casting out demons.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2026
Perhaps it’s bear markets that foretell better times.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
Her name was Annie—“just Annie,” no surname—and she was “just an orphan,” a nobody, really, but she never let her impoverished origins foretell her fate.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2024
One night he was troubled with dreams which seemed to foretell some great danger to him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
This foretells of a world where hydrocarbons are substituted by other energy sources.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
The “Skyscraper Index” foretells tough times for a city or country that’s just built the world’s tallest one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
If the coming days are anything like those of past years, analysts will try to make the case that the stock market’s performance at the beginning of January foretells its full-year direction.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 2, 2026
"Additionally, our study revealed that multiyear La Niña are distinguished from single-year La Niña by a conspicuous onset rate, which foretells its accumulative intensity and climate impacts."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2023
Mother warns how we act today foretells the whole year.
From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
And what the ill-fated project foretold about today’s entertainment culture is almost as cringey as watching Simpson try to rebuild his brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
When the Fed eased after a market rout, it was usually reacting to what the decline foretold.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
Little is known about the saint who, according to legend, was born on a clifftop in Pembrokeshire during a violent storm, after angels foretold his birth to St Patrick 30 years prior.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
To a remarkable degree, they foretold many of the failures that would beset L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
The masked woman had foretold the coming of the pale mare, was she right about the noble Reznak too?
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
While foretelling his imminent death, Christ tells his followers: “Walk while ye have the light.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
In the dark recesses of the U.S. economy, price pressures are bubbling up and foretelling another wave of inflation.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
Critics have heaped praise on the new comedy series from Detectorists creator Mackenzie Crook, which follows a man who creates tiny creatures capable of foretelling the future and answering any question.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
A foretelling of last earthly smells, whether for the hunted or the hunter.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025
He lived on there, foretelling to the world the shape of things to come.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
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.
