as in warning
serving as or offering a warning
a moderate tremor that some seismologists have interpreted as a premonitory sign of the catastrophic quake that is inevitable
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Recent Examples of premonitory
There is a premonitory moment, too, in this book that wrings so much drama from so many backdoor meetings.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
As is the way with these premonitory lists, not all games are guaranteed 2025 releases.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Fashion observers had also noticed that Swift had introduced a premonitory blue bodysuit into her wardrobe at the Tuesday show.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
In 2020, four years since their first date, Ms. Carswell started having premonitory dreams of Ms. Wynn walking back into her life once again.
—Tiana Randall, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
My premonitory sense of what her novels were about—Mrs. Dalloway is about some lady, The Waves is about … waves, To the Lighthouse is about going to a lighthouse—turned out to be basically accurate.
—Patricia Lockwood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2023
The mystery and melancholy of a street, De Chirico’s inspired phrase for his premonitory modern painting of city lights and shadows, could be the title of the whole exhibition.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
Every flourish — a closeup of horses’ hooves pounding the mud, an action scene rendered in partial slow-motion, a sudden gasp as Peter’s wife, Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa), awakens from a premonitory nightmare — suggests a filmmaker constrained by the visual grammar of the Hollywood action flick.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
Seventy-six people wrote to Barker claiming premonitory visions of the Aberfan disaster.
—Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
As is the way with these premonitory lists, not all games are guaranteed 2025 releases.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Fashion observers had also noticed that Swift had introduced a premonitory blue bodysuit into her wardrobe at the Tuesday show.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
In 2020, four years since their first date, Ms. Carswell started having premonitory dreams of Ms. Wynn walking back into her life once again.
—Tiana Randall, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
My premonitory sense of what her novels were about—Mrs. Dalloway is about some lady, The Waves is about … waves, To the Lighthouse is about going to a lighthouse—turned out to be basically accurate.
—Patricia Lockwood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2023
The mystery and melancholy of a street, De Chirico’s inspired phrase for his premonitory modern painting of city lights and shadows, could be the title of the whole exhibition.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2022
Every flourish — a closeup of horses’ hooves pounding the mud, an action scene rendered in partial slow-motion, a sudden gasp as Peter’s wife, Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa), awakens from a premonitory nightmare — suggests a filmmaker constrained by the visual grammar of the Hollywood action flick.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2022
Seventy-six people wrote to Barker claiming premonitory visions of the Aberfan disaster.
—Ian Beacock, The New Republic, 25 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for premonitory
Adjective
-
The bureau also will post more warning notices at 750 livestock sale facilities and review other potential changes to federal regulations.—
SCOTT SONNER,
Star Tribune,
27 July 2021
-
In response, statistical authorities around the world could do little but issue warning press releases.—
Andrew Whitby,
Time,
17 Apr. 2020
Adjective
-
And while the formal rules on travel have relaxed, the admonitory official language is unchanged.—
John Liu,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2023
-
Satire has always had an admonitory function, and besides, some people are so obnoxious that a writer has to slow-walk the reader through their awfulness.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2022
Adjective
-
For better or worse, Dawson served as an emotional, often cautionary, proxy for millennials’ own coming-of-age messiness.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Discomfort that resolves quickly without altering movement or feeling cautionary can be a positive sign.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Premonitory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/premonitory. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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