verb
foreshadow
Foreshadow (verb) means to hint at someone or something before they appear or happen.
verb
1
To hint at someone or something before they appear or happen.
"It all sounds to us remarkably nineteenth-century; Petrarch's romantic sentiments foreshadow with uncanny precision those of Dante Gabriel Rossetti or Alfred de Musset."
— Edwin Mullins, Palaces and Petrarch (2007)
"If there is a significant or surprising event in the story, it must be foreshadowed earlier on. When the event that was foreshadowed occurs, that's the payoff."
— Heide Goody, The Novel Writing Process (2013)
2
If a person does this, they get a feeling that something is going to happen.
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Etymology
The verb comes from fore- (a prefix meaning ‘before with respect to time, earlier’) and shadow (“to shade, cloud, or darken”, verb). The noun comes from fore- and shadow (“faint and imperfect representation”, noun), and was probably modelled on the verb, which is recorded earlier.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for foreshadow
See all rhymes for foreshadow →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of foreshadow?
"foreshadow" (verb) means to hint at someone or something before they appear or happen.
What is another word for foreshadow?
Other words for "foreshadow" include predict, augur, portend, auspicate, forecast, betoken.
What are the different meanings of foreshadow?
"foreshadow" has 2 main meanings: 1. To hint at someone or something before they appear or happen; 2. If a person does this, they get a feeling that something is going to happen.