foreshadowing
noun
fore·shad·ow·ing
fȯr-ˈsha-də-wiŋ
plural foreshadowings
: an indication of what is to come
If the history of the world were a novel, the events so strikingly chronicled in the photographs in this book … would seem a foreshadowing of the recent events …—Ralph Novak
On this merry Christmas evening, however, no fears or dim foreshadowings of any coming event clouded our hearts or faces.—Lucy Maud Montgomery
also
: the use of such indications (as in a work of literature)
And, further, Rose is a genuine cliff-hanger, or page-turner, full of foreshadowing … and all the tried and tricky methods of creating suspense. —John Simon
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadowing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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