foretell

[ fawr-tel, fohr- ]

verb (used with object)

foretold, foretelling.

1. to tell of beforehand; predict; prophesy.

   Synonyms: forebode, presage, augur, forecast

foretell

/ fɔːˈtɛl /

verb

1. tr; may take a clause as object to tell or indicate (an event, a result, etc) beforehand; predict

Derived Forms

• foreˈteller, noun

Other Word Forms

• fore·teller noun
• unfore·told adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foretell¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, foretell is from the Middle English word fortell. See fore-, tell ¹

Example Sentences

The reality is much worse than the abstract planning document foretold.

From Salon

Montiel takes a while to tip his hand that he’s after something more emotionally complex than the first act foretells.

From Los Angeles Times

Arnold Schoenberg’s sacrilegious “Pierrot Lunaire” foretold a distortion of reality that has never left us.

From Los Angeles Times

The “widening gyre” foretells the polarization of society, the centrifugal forces tearing the collective fabric into ideological extremes.

From Salon

A shard of pottery can foretell an act of abuse.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anticipate
• augur
• foreshadow
• portend
• prefigure
• presage
• prophesy
• signify