foretell
verb (used with object)
to tell of beforehand; predict; prophesy.
have foretold
-
present perfectof foretell.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
An angel is thought to have foretold his birth to St Patrick, 30 years before it happened - although the exact date is believed to be some time between 462 and 515 AD.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
Yet since the 1990s climate models have foretold that a warming climate would deplete oxygen there, too.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 1, 2023
The first two were said to have foretold the end of World War I and the start of World War II, and the rise and fall of Soviet communism.
From Washington Post ● May 28, 2022
What a bizarre thing — when you start a band, these are things you never would have foretold you would have to navigate.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2020
Who could have foretold that all those years of stitching pithy wise sayings onto pillows would prove so useful?
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
