foreshadowing
0 antonyms and opposites of foreshadowing, grouped by meaning.
Noun — A technique in storytelling in which a writer plants hints early on about something that will happen later, so the eventual event feels prepared for rather than random.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A technique in storytelling in which a writer plants hints early on about something that will happen later, so the eventual event feels prepared for rather than random.
“The broken clock in chapter one is obvious foreshadowing.”
How to use foreshadowing
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Neutral; standard vocabulary in English literature classes and reviews.
Etymology
From fore- 'before, in advance' plus shadow, on the image of a shadow being cast ahead of the thing that casts it.
Full origin of foreshadowing →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between foreshadowing and a flashforward?
Foreshadowing plants an indirect clue whose meaning only becomes clear later. A flashforward actually shows a future scene. One withholds, the other reveals.
What is the difference between foreshadowing and dramatic irony?
Foreshadowing hints at something neither the characters nor the reader knows yet. Dramatic irony exists when the reader already knows something a character does not, and watches them act in ignorance of it.
What are some common examples of foreshadowing?
Typical devices include an offhand remark that turns out to be literally true, a weather change before a disaster, an object introduced early and used decisively later, and a dream or prophecy. Titles and chapter epigraphs often do the same work.