foreshadowing
foreshadowing Lexical Profile
foreshadowing Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
"The sudden storm in the opening chapter served as dramatic foreshadowing of the family's impending conflict."
A warning, sign, or indication of a future event.
"The early frost was a clear foreshadowing of the harsh winter that lay ahead."
• verb
To act as a warning or sign of a future event (present participle of foreshadow).
"Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, foreshadowing a severe afternoon thunderstorm."
• Rhymes for foreshadowing
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 16th century from the prefix 'fore-' (before) and the verb 'shadow', originally used in Christian theology to describe how Old Testament figures and events prefigured the New Testament before becoming a standard literary term.