1
as in feel
a feeling that something bad will happen
I had a nagging presage that the results of my medical tests would not be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the sight of the first robin is always a welcome presage of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to predict
to tell of or describe beforehand
people used to believe that a comet presaged a major event, such as the death of a king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of presage
Michelle Stacey, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The ominous warning presages the societal problems that ensue when consanguinity is widespread.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
After Diana’s death, the series arrives at the events of The Queen, Morgan’s film with Helen Mirren that pretty much presaged The Crown, in which Elizabeth struggles to process the public’s love for Diana.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for presage 
Noun
In a presage of a confessional media environment still far in the future, Peters’ struggles with weight were part of her public persona—and, as with Oprah Winfrey and Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch, key to her business pitch.
—Michelle Stacey, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024
The ominous warning presages the societal problems that ensue when consanguinity is widespread.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019
Verb
And first-century Celtic druids apparently used mistletoe to make a sacred fertility elixir—one historic use that presaged the plant’s now-dominant identity as an excuse for kissing.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
After Diana’s death, the series arrives at the events of The Queen, Morgan’s film with Helen Mirren that pretty much presaged The Crown, in which Elizabeth struggles to process the public’s love for Diana.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for presage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presage
Noun
-
Along with Taylor’s rich voice, the record shone through its fluorescent electro flourishes and euphoric pop feel.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Plus, setting it up is super simple, the bass is strong enough to shake your room, and the Dolby Atmos feature adds this amazing 3D feel to the audio that pulls you into the action.—
Shubham Yewale,
PCMAG,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Punk and Emo, the forerunners of today’s worm-mollusks, lived on the dark seafloor amid gardens of sponges, nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs emerged on land.—
Kate Golembiewski,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2025
-
The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s.—
Joel Mathis,
theweek,
17 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
All three investors predict that crude oil prices will rise this time around.—
Lisa Kailai Han,Gabriel Cortés,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2025
-
For decades, theorists favored this mass range because several simple extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics predicted the existence of such particles.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Growing up in tension, fearing a parent’s volatility, can leave a young person with painful but shrewd premonitions about possible danger and with acute impulses to protection.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
-
That premonition rings true when his parents (Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen) are slaughtered by a carjacker dressed as Old Saint Nick himself (Charles Dierkop) just hours later, condemning the toddler into further moral compass trauma at an orphanage run by a domineering Mother Superior nun from Hell.—
Huntley Woods,
EW.com,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Starring Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto and Melissa Leo, Homicide ran for more than 100 episodes and seven seasons in the 1990s and is considered by many to be a precursor to Simon’s The Wire.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
-
This track is a precursor to a series of new releases planned for early 2025, signaling a year of growth and exploration for Sanders.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But this progress was not inevitable; it was forged through struggle and the determination to rise above fear and division.—
John Hope Bryant,
TIME,
23 Jan. 2025
-
On trial for murder: The trial of three men linked to a series of robberies and murders that rocked New York’s L.G.B.T.Q. community and spread fear throughout the city began with opening statements.—
Shayla Colon,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
His removal makes our nation less secure and is a terrible portent for what's to come.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
-
The series’ treading-water quality feels like a portent, one that warns us Hollywood’s prequel formula won’t ever dare to change.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Washington does not share this worry, Zelenskyy claimed.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Jonathan LeBron, 39, plumbing manager at Nick's Plumbing & Air Conditioning in the Houston area, said the company started getting homeowner calls Monday about worries of frozen pipes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near presage
Cite this Entry
“Presage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presage. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share