Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To tell of or indicate beforehand; predict.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To tell beforehand, or in advance of the event; predict; prophesy.
- Synonyms To vaticinate; Foretell, Prophesy, Predict, Presage, Forebode, Prognosticate, may represent the act of a person correctly or incorrectly asserting what will happen. Foretell is the general word for telling beforehand, and generally correctly. Prophesy and predict are often used lightly for foretell, but in strictness they are more forcible words, prophesy, through its use in the Scripture, often implying supernatural help, and predict precision of calculation or knowledge. Presage implies superior wisdom or perception; to forebode is to anticipate or prophesy evil, especially indefinite evil. To prognosticate is to foretell by studying signs or symptoms: as, to prognosticate bad weather or the course of a disease. See omen.
- To utter prediction or prophecy.
Wiktionary
- v. To tell what's going to happen in the future, especially but not necessarily by having the power of clairvoyance and using it.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To predict; to tell before occurence; to prophesy; to foreshow.
- v. To utter predictions.
WordNet 3.0
- v. foreshadow or presage
- v. make a prediction about; tell in advance
- v. indicate by signs
Etymologies
- From fore- + tell. Compare Latinate premonition. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“With whatever qualifications, it is certainly one of the great English lyrics, and its union of Renaissance sensuousness with grandeur of conception and sureness of expression foretell clearly enough at twenty the poet of 'Paradise Lost.”
“The NFL, which is suddenly in danger of becoming the No Football League, routinely proposes rules changes that seem to foretell a ban on tackling.”
“You know, it's impossible, particularly in this part of the world and particularly in the middle of a war, to foretell the future.”
“Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.”
“As the lives of the townspeople become inextricably intertwined with the newly arrived women, Poppys premonitions begin to foretell a deep unhappiness for all involved.”
“The first few moments of that meeting will foretell a lot.”
The Huffington Post: Andrew Brandt: The (CBA) End Is Near for the NFL
“What lessons does this experience have for the right today, and what does it foretell?”
The Huffington Post: Robert Slayton: George McGovern and the Tea Party
“But since this is Star Trek and you can't really do it without a Message, it has that as well: the powerful relationship between fathers and and their offspring and how our past truly does foretell our future.”
“With these new tests, some experts foretell the end of Downs.”
The Huffington Post: Gabe Lyons: In Defense Of Down Syndrome Children.. Like My Son
“But even if turnout eventually begins to rise, does the lack of enthusiasm now foretell Republican difficulties in the general election?”
The Guardian: How much low turnout hurts Mitt Romney now – and in November | Harry J Enten
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘foretell’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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RELI - words with Biblical connotations
Words in the Bible evoking biblical stories or with special spiritual meaning. Proper names have been reduced to the minimum.
ark, judgement, holy, saint, baptism, spirit, love, eternal, altar, balsam, covenant, flood and 1115 more...
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RELI - words you immediately associat...
almighty, altar, anoint, apostle, archangel, Balaam, baptism, advent, ark, baptist, baptize, begotten and 341 more...
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LIT - Iliad - key words and protagonists
abduct, abducting, abductor, Achaea, Achaean, Achilles, advise, Aegean, Aegean Sea, Aegina, aegis, Aeneas and 713 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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Fore!
That great old English prefix, quaint almost by default!
foredoom, forename, foretoken, foremast, forebear, foresee, forecastle, forestay, foreskin, foretell, foreshadow, foreclose and 79 more...
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pop ups
erstwhile, allegiance, sacked, reinstate, vengeance, affluent, sedative, maverick, caricatives, abandoned, faux pas, ambience and 245 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for foretell.
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