as in premonition
a feeling that something bad will happen
a nagging presentiment of danger
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presentiment
That presentiment lies behind the many present expressions of apocalypse.
—
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
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
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
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presentiment
Noun
-
Again, people have premonitions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
-
At the snap, Wake Forest defensive back Davaughn Patterson fulfilled Joly’s premonition, moving quickly toward the line of scrimmage in an effort to interrupt the tight end’s route out of the backfield.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
For all its history and tradition, the Preakness was expected to have a different feel this year.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
-
The nightlife and dining service staff gave off a familial feel—like a big Jersey family.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
China's exports gathered pace in April as factories scrambled to meet surging overseas demand from foreign buyers stockpiling goods as the Iran fanned fears of higher input costs.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
More than that, there is a general sense of anger and suspicion about entrenched élites.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
The timeline of the Andrew scandal has been heavily discussed, even before the disgraced former prince was arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Another reasonable worry is energy.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
With one less worry – a safe home – Denise can now imagine a future for her family.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The discordant, Bernard Herrmann-esque bursts of María Portugal’s rich score ratchet up the suspense and foreboding.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
That’s not to say the decisions were easy and lacked a sense of foreboding.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presentiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presentiment. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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