foreboding
A strong feeling that something bad is about to happen.
foreboding in a sentence
- A sense of foreboding crept over Lily as she noticed the front door swinging open.
- The sailors felt a growing foreboding as black clouds piled up on the horizon.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to foreboding?
- Aconfidence
- Bcalm
- Cdread
- Dhope
Show the answer
C: dread. The other three mean the opposite of foreboding.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to foreboding?
- Aworry
- Bfear
- Cdread
- Dhope
Show the answer
D: hope. The other three mean nearly the same as foreboding.
Words that mean something similar
dread, worry, fear
Words that mean the opposite
hope, confidence, calm
Careful: foreboding is not dread
Dread is fear of something you know is coming. Foreboding is a feeling that something bad is coming, even when you cannot say what. Read why children mix them up.
More words about emotions & feelings
- forlorn: Lonely, sad and left all alone.
- frantic: Wild with worry, fear or hurry.
- fraught: Full of worry or danger.
- frenzy: A burst of wild, out-of-control excitement or activity.
- fret: To keep worrying about something.
- fume: To be very angry, often without saying anything.
- furious: Wildly angry, so cross that you can hardly keep calm.
- glee: A feeling of great delight and excitement.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test