foretell
UK [fɔːˈtɛɫ] · US [fɔɹˈtɛɫ] verb
Forms foretells foretelling foretold foretel
- verb (ambitransitive) To predict; to tell (the future) before it occurs; to prophesy.
- verb (transitive) To tell (a person) of the future.
Synonyms
foresay forespeak announce annunciate harbinger herald predict prognosticate call forebode anticipate promise bode portend auspicate omen presage betoken foreshadow augur prefigure forecast
Etymology
First use appears before 1400, from Middle English foretellen, equivalent to fore- + tell.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “foretell”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details