Standard Lemma guide

foreboding

adj · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: F AO0 R B OW1 D IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of ominous significance; serving as an ill omen; foretelling of harm or difficulty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inauspicious, portentous, augurous, baleful, bodeful, boding, dire, disastrous, divine, fatal, foreboding, ill-boding, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, inauspicate, nefastous, omenic, ominous, brooding, presageful, presagious, prodigious, sinister, star-crossed, sullen

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sense of evil to come.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: augury, preboding

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An evil omen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of forebode

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

an unfavorable omen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: omen, portent, presage, prognostic, prognostication, prodigy

6

noun

Meaning 6

a feeling of evil to come

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a steadily escalating sense of foreboding
  • the lawyer had a presentiment that the judge would dismiss the case

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: premonition, presentiment, boding

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: apprehension, apprehensiveness, dread

Narrower terms: shadow, presage

History

Etymology

From Middle English forbodyng, vorboding, equivalent to fore- + bode + -ing. Compare German Vorbote (“harbinger, omen”).

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: проко́ба (prokóba) — sense of evil to come
  • Catalan: pressentiment — sense of evil to come
  • Catalan: presagi — sense of evil to come
  • Czech: zlá předtucha — sense of evil to come
  • Dutch: slecht voorgevoel — sense of evil to come
  • Finnish: paha aavistus — sense of evil to come
  • French: mauvais pressentiment — sense of evil to come
  • French: mauvais présage — sense of evil to come
  • Georgian: წინათგრძნობა (c̣inatgrʒnoba) — sense of evil to come
  • Georgian: ცუდი წინათგრძნობა (cudi c̣inatgrʒnoba) — sense of evil to come
  • Georgian: ცუდის მომასწავებელი (cudis momasc̣avebeli) — sense of evil to come
  • Georgian: ცუდის მომასწავებელი ნიშანი (cudis momasc̣avebeli nišani) — sense of evil to come
  • German: Ahnung — sense of evil to come
  • German: Vorahnung — sense of evil to come
  • Italian: brutto presentimento — sense of evil to come
  • Latin: praesāgium — sense of evil to come
  • Macedonian: про́коба (prókoba) — sense of evil to come
  • Macedonian: ја́нѕа (jándza) — sense of evil to come
  • Macedonian: пре́тчувство (prétčuvstvo) — sense of evil to come
  • Māori: parangēki — sense of evil to come
  • Occitan: marrida pressentida — sense of evil to come
  • Occitan: marrit pressentiment — sense of evil to come
  • Occitan: fumada — sense of evil to come
  • Portuguese: mau pressentimento — sense of evil to come
  • Romanian: presimțire rea — sense of evil to come
  • Romanian: presentiment rău — sense of evil to come
  • Russian: предчу́вствие (predčúvstvije) — sense of evil to come
  • Russian: дурно́е предчу́вствие (durnóje predčúvstvije) — sense of evil to come
  • Serbo-Croatian: zla slutnja — sense of evil to come
  • Spanish: mal presentimiento — sense of evil to come
  • Turkish: malum olma — sense of evil to come
  • Turkish: önsezi — sense of evil to come
  • Turkish: sezi — sense of evil to come
  • Bulgarian: поличба (poličba) — evil omen
  • Finnish: paha enne — evil omen
  • German: bange Ahnung — evil omen
  • Italian: malaugurio — evil omen
  • Macedonian: ко́ба (kóba) — evil omen
  • Māori: kōtua — evil omen
  • Māori: aroākapa — evil omen
  • Māori: aituā — evil omen
  • Portuguese: mau agouro — evil omen
  • Romanian: piază — evil omen
  • Russian: предзнаменова́ние (predznamenovánije) — evil omen
  • Russian: зна́мение (známenije) — evil omen
  • Russian: предве́стник беды́ (predvéstnik bedý) — evil omen
  • Russian: плоха́я приме́та (ploxája priméta) — evil omen
  • Serbo-Croatian: predznak zla — evil omen
  • Serbo-Croatian: predskazanje — evil omen
  • Turkish: içine doğma — evil omen
  • Turkish: kötü his — evil omen