Synonyms for forebode
- verb
- noun
Most common
All synonyms
Verb
1. Predict — to predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device)
predict, foretell, portend, prognosticate, betoken, call, promise, divine, threaten, foresee, apprehend, anticipate, augur, presage, prefigure, vaticinate formal, omen, prophesy, bode dated, foreshadow rare, foreshow dated
Noun
Definitions
- v. 1
To predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device).
Related words
- Other spellings
- forbod forbode
Forms
- Past participle
- foreboded
e.g. foreboded → predicted, portended, prognosticated, betokened…
Choose the right word
We forebode misfortune either from circumstances that betoken failure, or from gloomy fancies for which we could not give a reason.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- predict Tom actually believed he could predict the future.
- foretell It's completely impossible to foretell his reaction.
- prognosticate The mayor refused to prognosticate as to his margin of victory in the election.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| forebode | steady | |
| predict | steady | |
| foretell | steady | |
| portend | steady | |
| prognosticate | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- call1, omen2, bode1
- 5 letters
- spell1, augur2, croak1
- 6 letters
- divine2
- 7 letters
- promise2, predict2, foresee2, presage2, portend2, betoken
- 8 letters
- threaten2, prophesy, foretell2, foreshow
- 9 letters
- apprehend3, prefigure
- 10 letters
- anticipate4, foreshadow3, vaticinate
- 11 letters
- prohibition4
- 12 letters
- proscription3
- 13 letters
- prognosticate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (omen2 = 2 syllables).