Foreshadowing
noun /ˌfɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/ — A hint within a story of what is to come.
Definition
The craft technique of introducing a hint — through image, detail, or dialogue — of events that will occur later in a narrative. Skilled foreshadowing makes the ending feel inevitable in retrospect, surprising in the moment.
Beyond the definition
The best foreshadowing is invisible the first time you read it. You only see it on the second pass, when you know where things are going. Then the whole story reorganises itself — the early pages suddenly dense with what you'd missed.
Origin & history
From 'fore-' (before) + 'shadow' — to cast a shadow before the thing that casts it arrives. The metaphor is exact: a shadow arrives before the body that throws it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The broken clock in chapter one was foreshadowing — you just didn't know it yet.
She uses foreshadowing so subtly that even careful readers miss it the first time.
Good foreshadowing doesn't announce itself; it whispers.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Foreshadowing” when the meaning fits your context: The craft technique of introducing a hint — through image, detail, or dialogue — of events that will occur later in a narrative. Skilled foreshadowing makes the ending feel inevitable in retrospect, surprising in the moment.
Synonyms
Antonyms
flashback, retrospect
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Foreshadowing" mean?
Foreshadowing is noun meaning: A hint within a story of what is to come.. The craft technique of introducing a hint — through image, detail, or dialogue — of events that will occur later in a narrative. Skilled foreshadowing makes the ending feel inevitable in retrospect, surprising in the moment.
Where does the word "Foreshadowing" come from?
From 'fore-' (before) + 'shadow' — to cast a shadow before the thing that casts it arrives. The metaphor is exact: a shadow arrives before the body that throws it.