as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
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Recent Examples of presentiment
Toni has been reluctant to let Amalie go out by herself—her bringing back a telescope seems to confirm some kind of fear, or presentiment.
—
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
His presentiments had been right, but all those garlic pills and pulse recordings had done nothing to save him.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
The lavishness turns quickly into horror — Godwin gives us buckets of blood unasked for in the original — and then into a presentiment of Lear on the heath.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2020
Seen from behind, men and women bundled up in heavy coats are saturated with a mute presentiment, that of people beginning to endure.
—Han Kang, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Those years, of course, marked respectively the peak of the frenzied optimism of the last business cycle and the first chilling presentiments of what was to come.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
During the 1919 scenes she is occasionally stopped in her tracks by presentiments of what’s in store around the corner.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
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But instead of continuing the story at the moment Iris comes to after her vision, the film jumps forward to the present day, where Iris’ premonition has become her granddaughter Stefanie’s (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) recurring nightmare.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
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But Annabelle is also haunted by terrifying dreams — ones where her family are affected — and which Annabelle soon realizes aren’t just figments of her imagination, but premonitions of what’s to come.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Another Buffy option, this comforter is known for its top-tier temperature regulation and plush-to-the-touch feel.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
28 May 2025
-
The crisp colors, plush feel, and absorbency of our summer towels can quickly take a nose dive once the rigors of the season are in full swing.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Some of this fear is rooted in social comparison, but much of it is tied to daily concerns about funding retirement accounts and covering child care costs.—
Eliza Brooke,
Vox,
23 May 2025
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The employee, who did not want to be named out of fear of retaliation for speaking to the news media, said that the N.S.F.’s rigorous review process had been disassembled, and that political mandates had taken precedence over scientific merits when assessing grant proposals.—
Aatish Bhatia,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Though suspicions had long surrounded Steven Pankey — a local man with ties to her church who later ran twice for the governor of Idaho — he wasn’t arrested until 2020.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
24 May 2025
-
Murderbot's newfound free will leads to odd behavior sparking suspicion from the PreservationAux team.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
The letter is a sign of growing ties between religious and AI safety groups, which share some of the same worries.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
21 May 2025
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But for Americans on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, the daily weather forecast always comes with a constant thrum of worry — any small disturbance in the Atlantic has the potential to evolve into a major storm.—
Sabrina B. Valenti,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
The series has so much escapist potential in its initial episodes, poking at the absurdities of abundant wealth and ladling in so much silly foreboding, only to squander it because the series is unable to create anything resembling an emotional payoff.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
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And despite the reasonable forebodings of Fleming and others, this time the outcome from geoengineering interventions should be different, though of course any intervention must be weighed against the unintended consequences that may follow.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Dec. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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