foreshadowing

[ fawr-shad-oh-ing ]

noun

1. an indication of something that will happen in the future, often used as a literary device to hint at or allude to future plot developments:

   The gothic novel uses foreshadowing to build suspense.

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreshadowing¹

First recorded in 1845–50; foreshadow ( def ) + -ing ¹( def )

Example Sentences

President-elect Donald Trump has blown past an Oct 1 deadline to submit a mandatory ethics pledge, potentially foreshadowing a chaotic handoff between the Biden administration and the second Trump term's team.

From Salon

Now that the show's wedding episodes have aired, one can't help wondering if the show’s producers were spooning out a bit of foreshadowing.

From Salon

The author concluded the post foreshadowing potential issues to come in seasons three and four.

From Salon

It was sort of foreshadowed at the top of the season, which opens with the back of Deb and the Caesar statue in Vegas foreshadowing this backstabbing.

From Los Angeles Times

Even worse, the scientists who chronicled the Key Largo tree cactus' extinction are now predicting that this is only foreshadowing future local extinctions as part of the ongoing sixth mass extinction driven by human activity.

From Salon

Related Words

• apocalyptic
• prescient