Synonyms for foretell
fɔrˈtɛl, foʊr-fore·tell

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.7 / 3 votes

1. foretell

   "Persons or things augur; persons only forebode or presage; things only betoken or portend." Crabb English Synonymes. We augur well for a voyage from past good fortune and a good start; we presage success from the stanchness of the ship and the skill of the captain. We forebode misfortune either from circumstances that betoken failure, or from gloomy fancies for which we could not give a reason. Dissipation among the officers and mutiny among the crew portend disaster. Divine has reference to the ancient soothsayers' arts (as in Gen. xliv, 5, 15), and refers rather to reading hearts than to reading the future. We say I could not divine his motive, or his intention.

   Synonyms:
   augur, betoken, bode, divine, forebode, portend, predict, presage, prognosticate, prophesy

   Antonyms:
   assure, calculate, demonstrate, determine, establish, insure, make sure, prove, settle, warrant

   Preposition:
   I augur from all circumstances a prosperous result; I augur ill of the enterprise; "augurs ill to the rights of the people," Thomas Jefferson Writings vol. ii, p. 506. [Taylor, Walton & Maberley '53.] I augur well, or this augurs well, for your cause.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.8 / 4 votes

1. foretell

   Synonyms:
   predict, preindicate, prognosticate, forebode, prophesy, presage, augur, foreshow, betoken, portend, forewarn

   Antonyms:
   recite, narrate, detail

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. announce, annunciate, harbinger, foretell, heraldverb

   foreshadow or presage

   Synonyms:
   predict, herald, hail, betoken, announce, augur, annunciate, bode, portend, omen, harbinger, acclaim, prefigure, call, prognosticate, anticipate, foreshadow, forebode, forecast, declare, promise, auspicate, denote, presage

2. predict, foretell, prognosticate, call, forebode, anticipate, promiseverb

   make a prediction about; tell in advance

   "Call the outcome of an election"

   Synonyms:
   forestall, predict, augur, forebode, foreshadow, scream, prognosticate, counter, promise, phone, yell, foreknow, shout out, cry, herald, call in, auspicate, expect, holler, call up, betoken, call off, assure, call, look for, send for, previse, anticipate, address, visit, portend, shout, bode, foresee, look to, announce, presage, name, hollo, squall, bid, ring, omen, forecast, harbinger, telephone, annunciate, prefigure

3. bode, portend, auspicate, prognosticate, omen, presage, betoken, foreshadow, augur, foretell, prefigure, forecast, predictverb

   indicate by signs

   "These signs bode bad news"

   Synonyms:
   predict, herald, bespeak, indicate, promise, figure, betoken, announce, count on, annunciate, bode, foreshadow, omen, point, harbinger, estimate, portend, call, prognosticate, anticipate, reckon, augur, calculate, forebode, prefigure, signal, forecast, auspicate, presage

Matched Categories

1. • Tell

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. foretellverb

   Synonyms:
   predict, prophesy

2. foretellverb

   Synonyms:
   prognosticate, foreshow, foreshadow, presignify, betoken, portend, augur, bode, presage

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. foretellverb

   Synonyms:
   predict, prophesy, prognosticate, augur, presage, portend, forebode, bode, divine, foreshadow, presignify

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "foretell":

   predict

How to pronounce foretell?

How to say foretell in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use foretell in a sentence?

1. Michael Gove:

   I can't foretell the future but I don't believe that the act of leaving the European Union would make our economic position worse, I think it would make it better.

2. Henry David Thoreau:

   One may discover a new side to his most intimate friend when for the first time he hears him speak in public. He will be stranger to him as he is more familiar to the audience. The longest intimacy could not foretell how he would behave then

3. Alexis Tsipras:

   If these measures are rejected, all (prospects) are open, any percentage of defeat for the Syriza party ... would open a discussion that I cannot foretell how would end. We would be entering an adventure.

4. Henry David Thoreau:

   One may discover a new side to his most intimate friend when for the first time he hears him speak in public. He will be stranger to him as he is more familiar to the audience. The longest intimacy could not foretell how he would behave then.

5. Celal Sengor:

   We can foretell that an earthquake of that magnitude will happen soon, but that is the best we can do. There is no way you can predict it.