Standard Lemma guide

foreshadow

noun · verb · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈfɔːˌʃædəʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ædəʊ
  • /ˈfɔɹˌʃædoʊ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /fɔːˈʃædəʊ/
  • /ˌfɔːˈʃædəʊ/
  • /fə-/
  • /fɔɹˈʃædoʊ/
  • /fəɹ-/
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO0 R SH AE1 D OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A suggestion of something in advance; a harbinger, a portent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: foretouch, foreshadowing, omen, augury, auspice, harbinger, portent, presage, prognostic

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To suggest (someone or something) in advance; to prefigure, to presage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

Of a person: to have an intuition or premonition about (something); to forebode.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

indicate by signs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • These signs bode bad news

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bode, portend, auspicate, prognosticate, omen, presage, betoken, augur, foretell, prefigure, forecast, predict

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bespeak, betoken, indicate, point, signal

Narrower terms: threaten, foreshow

History

Etymology

The verb is derived from fore- (prefix meaning ‘before with respect to time, earlier’) + shadow (“to shade, cloud, or darken”, verb). The noun is derived from fore- + shadow (“faint and imperfect representation”, noun), probably modelled after the verb which is attested earlier.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: նախանշել (naxanšel) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Bulgarian: предвещавам (predveštavam) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Czech: dávat tušit — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Czech: naznačovat — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Czech: naznačit — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Czech: předznamenávat — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Czech: předznamenat — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Dutch: beduiden — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Finnish: ennakoida — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Finnish: enteillä — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • French: augurer — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • French: présager — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Georgian: მიანიშნებს (mianišnebs) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Georgian: მოასწავებს (moasc̣avebs) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • German: andeuten — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Indonesian: padah — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Italian: predire — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Italian: presagire — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Italian: prevedere — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Portuguese: pressagiar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Russian: предви́деть (predvídetʹ) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Russian: предвосхища́ть (predvosxiščátʹ) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Russian: предвосхи́тить (predvosxítitʹ) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Russian: предвосхити́ть (predvosxitítʹ) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: agorar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: agüerar (desus.) — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: augurar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: prefigurar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: premostrar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Spanish: presagiar — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Turkish: belirtisi olmak — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage
  • Turkish: haber vermek — to suggest (someone or something) in advance — see also prefigure, presage