Foreshadow
verb /fɔːˈʃæd.əʊ/ — To hint at what is yet to come in a narrative
Definition
To be a warning or indication of a future event — to plant a shadow of what is coming before it arrives, creating dread, expectation, or irony.
Beyond the definition
The subtle art of letting the reader almost know. Foreshadowing creates the feeling that fate was always there, just not yet seen.
Origin & history
From 'fore' (before) + 'shadow' — the shadow cast backwards through time by a coming event.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The first scene foreshadowed the betrayal so precisely that a re-reading felt like inevitability.
Good foreshadowing is invisible the first time and obvious the second.
She foreshadowed the ending in the opening paragraph — not as a spoiler, but as a promise.
How to use it
This entry uses a verb. Follow the examples for tense and any objects or prepositions it needs.
Choose “Foreshadow” when the meaning fits your context: To be a warning or indication of a future event — to plant a shadow of what is coming before it arrives, creating dread, expectation, or irony.
Synonyms
Antonyms
surprise, conceal, withhold
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Foreshadow" mean?
Foreshadow is verb meaning: To hint at what is yet to come in a narrative. To be a warning or indication of a future event — to plant a shadow of what is coming before it arrives, creating dread, expectation, or irony.
Where does the word "Foreshadow" come from?
From 'fore' (before) + 'shadow' — the shadow cast backwards through time by a coming event.