Presage

noun, verb

noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A warning of a future event; an omen.

    "Speak frankly, Mirzes—nor believe thy words, / Whatever black preſages they contain, / Subjoin'd to all Trophonius hath foretold, / Can change my firm reſolves, or blunt my ſword."

  2. 2
    a sign of something about to happen wordnet
  3. 3
    An intuition of a future event; a presentiment.

    "Glad was I when I reached the other bank. / Now for a better country. Vain presage!"

  4. 4
    a foreboding about what is about to happen wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To predict or foretell something. transitive

    "If I may truſt the flattering truth of ſleepe, / My dreames preſage ſome ioyfull newes at hand : / My boſomes L. ſits lightly in his throne : / And all this day an vnaccuſtom’d ſpirit, / Lifts me aboue the ground with cheatfull thoughts […]"

  2. 2
    indicate, as with a sign or an omen wordnet
  3. 3
    To make a prediction. intransitive
  4. 4
    To have a presentiment of; to feel beforehand; to foreknow. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
bodeforeshadowforeshadowforetellomenportend

Example

More examples

"A crow's cry at midnight was said to presage death in the village."

Etymology

From Middle English presage, from Latin praesāgium.

More for "presage"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.