Word
foreboding
Phoneticsfore·bod·ing, stress on the second syllable
US/fɔɹˈboʊdɪŋ/
UK/fˈɔːbəʊdɪŋ/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a feeling that something bad is going to happen. It is like a dark cloud in your mind that makes you worry about the future.
n. a feeling of expectation or prediction that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen. Often associated with a sense of dread or unease.
Examples
“A sense of foreboding hung over the room.”
“The dark, stormy sky gave the hikers a sense of foreboding before the heavy rain began.”
“The protagonist's internal monologue is filled with a deep foreboding, as the author uses the approaching winter to mirror the character's growing fear of isolation.”
Examples
simple
“A sense of foreboding hung over the room.”
contextual
“The dark, stormy sky gave the hikers a sense of foreboding before the heavy rain began.”
complex
“The protagonist's internal monologue is filled with a deep foreboding, as the author uses the approaching winter to mirror the character's growing fear of isolation.”
Real-World Examples
“Currell recalled waking up with a sense of foreboding, telling her father that she didn’t want to go to school that day.” “That guilt and vague foreboding must be even worse for teachers.” Etymology
From Middle English forbodyng, vorboding, equivalent to fore- + bode + -ing. Compare German Vorbote (“harbinger, omen”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/foreboding