Standard Lemma guide

presage

noun · verb · 8 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.

  • UK: /ˈpɹɛsɪdʒ/
  • UK: /pɹɪˈseɪdʒ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsɪdʒ
  • rhymes with -eɪdʒ
  • CMU ARPABET: P R EH1 S IH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A warning of a future event; an omen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An intuition of a future event; a presentiment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To predict or foretell something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To make a prediction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To have a presentiment of; to feel beforehand; to foreknow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a sign of something about to happen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he looked for an omen before going into battle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: omen, portent, prognostic, prognostication, prodigy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: augury, sign, foretoken, preindication

Narrower terms: auspice, foreboding, death knell

7

noun

Meaning 7

a foreboding about what is about to happen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: foreboding, premonition, presentiment, boding

8

verb

Meaning 8

indicate by signs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • These signs bode bad news

Meaning relationships

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

Antonyms: none provided

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

Narrower terms: threaten, foreshow

History

Etymology

From Middle English presage, from Latin praesāgium.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: знамение (znamenie) — warning; omen
  • Bulgarian: поличба (poličba) — warning; omen
  • Catalan: presagi — warning; omen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 預兆 /预兆 (yùzhào) — warning; omen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 徵兆 /征兆 (zhēngzhào) — warning; omen
  • Czech: předzvěst — warning; omen
  • Dutch: voorteken — warning; omen
  • Finnish: enne — warning; omen
  • French: présage — warning; omen
  • Georgian: ცუდი წინათგრძნობის ქონა (cudi c̣inatgrʒnobis kona) — warning; omen
  • Greek: προμήνυμα (promínyma) — warning; omen
  • Italian: presagio — warning; omen
  • Romanian: avertiza — warning; omen
  • Romanian: prefigura — warning; omen
  • Russian: предзнаменова́ние (predznamenovánije) — warning; omen
  • Spanish: presagio — warning; omen
  • Ottoman Turkish: اوغور (uğur) — warning; omen
  • Ukrainian: передві́стя (peredvístja) — warning; omen
  • Bulgarian: предчувствие (predčuvstvie) — intuition; presentiment
  • Catalan: presagi — intuition; presentiment
  • Catalan: intuïció — intuition; presentiment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 預感 /预感 (yùgǎn) — intuition; presentiment
  • Czech: předtucha — intuition; presentiment
  • Dutch: voorgevoel — intuition; presentiment
  • Finnish: aavistus — intuition; presentiment
  • Georgian: წინათგრძნობა (c̣inatgrʒnoba) — intuition; presentiment
  • Romanian: inituiție — intuition; presentiment
  • Romanian: presentiment — intuition; presentiment
  • Romanian: prefigura — intuition; presentiment
  • Russian: предчу́вствие (predčúvstvije) — intuition; presentiment
  • Spanish: presentimiento — intuition; presentiment
  • Spanish: intuición — intuition; presentiment
  • Bulgarian: предсказвам (predskazvam) — to predict or foretell something
  • Czech: být předzvěstí — to predict or foretell something
  • Czech: předpovídat — to predict or foretell something
  • Dutch: voorspellen — to predict or foretell something
  • Dutch: aankondigen — to predict or foretell something
  • Finnish: ennustaa — to predict or foretell something
  • Latin: ōminor — to predict or foretell something
  • Spanish: presagiar — to predict or foretell something
  • Bulgarian: предвещавам (predveštavam) — to make a prediction
  • Finnish: ennustaa — to make a prediction
  • Spanish: predecir — to make a prediction
  • Bulgarian: предчувствам (predčuvstvam) — to have a presentiment of
  • Czech: věštit — to have a presentiment of
  • Dutch: een voorgevoel hebben — to have a presentiment of
  • Dutch: voorvoelen — to have a presentiment of
  • Finnish: aavistaa — to have a presentiment of
  • Finnish: uumoilla — to have a presentiment of
  • Finnish: ounastella — to have a presentiment of
  • Spanish: presentir — to have a presentiment of