All words

presage

Meaning

To indicate or suggest something that is expected to happen in the future, especially something unpleasant.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

As Anna watched dark clouds gather quickly above her house, she felt uneasy. The sudden cold wind and flashes of lightning seemed to presage a storm. She hurried inside, believing those signs were an omen of the trouble that was about to come.

The dark clouds gathered, a grim presage of the storm that would soon break. A shiver ran down his spine, a feeling that this day would bring terrible news. The air grew heavy, and a sense of dread settled in.

The dark clouds gathering over the mountain seemed to presage a terrible storm. Jake watched the sky nervously, remembering how similar skies had always preceded the worst weather he'd seen in these parts. Something was coming, and the silence felt heavy with warning.

When my cat marched into the kitchen wearing my socks on her head, I took it as a presage that the day would be odd. Sure enough, five minutes later, my toast popped up in the shape of Elvis, and my coffee started humming "Jailhouse Rock."

The weird, glowing banana peel on the sidewalk was a clear presage. It definitely foretold a future event, like maybe a clown tripping. Or perhaps a squirrel wearing tiny roller skates. Whatever it meant, it was probably going to be bizarre.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The dark clouds gathering on the horizon seemed to presage an impending storm. The wind picked up, carrying with it a sense of unease and anticipation.

As the storm clouds gathered ominously on the horizon, casting an eerie glow over the landscape, a sense of foreboding filled the air. The wind howled like a banshee, presaging a tempest that threatened to unleash its wrath upon the land. Trees swayed and groaned, their branches creaking in protest as the storm approached, its fury foreshadowing the destruction that was yet to come.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, a chill settled over the small town. The wind howled through the empty streets, carrying with it a sense of foreboding. Shadows danced on the walls of the abandoned buildings, their movements erratic and unnatural. The townspeople could feel the weight of impending doom pressing down on them, a presage of horrors yet to come. Whispers of a curse echoed through the night, sending shivers down their spines. They knew that something sinister lurked just beyond their sight, waiting to unleash its wrath upon the unsuspecting souls.

The silence was deafening as she approached the weathered door. Rust-colored stains presaged the horror that lay beyond, like a grim canvas painted with the blood of the innocent. Her heart pounded in her chest, a harbinger of the unspeakable evil that awaited her within those cursed walls.

The dark clouds gathered overhead, casting a shadow over the village. The villagers whispered amongst themselves, feeling a sense of unease in the air. The old wise woman, with her wrinkled face and piercing gaze, stood at the edge of town, staring out into the distance. "Something wicked this way comes," she muttered, her voice filled with presage. Her words sent a shiver down the spines of the villagers, who knew that her predictions were never wrong. They knew that her words were a warning of impending danger, a sign of the evil that was about to descend upon them.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

Anna woke to the sound of crows gathering outside her window. Their harsh calls seemed unnatural, as if they were there for a reason. She could not shake the feeling that their presence was a presage of trouble waiting just ahead, making her morning heavy with quiet worry.

The heavy, bruised clouds that gathered on the horizon seemed to presage a terrible storm. A chilling wind swept through the barren trees, a disquieting omen that made us huddle closer, our hearts sinking with the dimming light.

The birds fell silent, and a chill crept across the field. Jake knew this eerie stillness could presage something dangerous approaching. His hunting instincts sharpened, scanning the treeline for any movement that might confirm the warning signs gathering around him.

As Gerald stared at the sky, he noticed a flock of seagulls flying backward, which, along with the mysterious appearance of rainbow-colored rain, seemed to presage another one of his Uncle Morty's infamous backyard BBQ disasters. Sure enough, the grill exploded alongside the potato salad shortly after.

The suspiciously large delivery of catnip and tiny hats did little to presage a peaceful afternoon. It was a clear omen, an unmistakable sign, that the feline overlords were preparing for their annual "Emperor's Birthday Bash," a chaotic affair involving much meowing and the judicious shredding of upholstery.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

As the sky darkened suddenly at noon, the townspeople grew anxious, fearing the abrupt change might be a presage of disaster. The unease in the air was unmistakable, as if nature itself offered an omen of something unavoidable lurking just beyond the horizon.

The oppressive silence that had fallen over the village, the abrupt cessation of all avian cacophony, felt like a presage. It was a chilling omen, a tangible sense of imminent peril that tightened every stomach and steeled every resolve.

The storm's electric silence made Sarah shiver. The unnatural stillness, the flickering streetlights, seemed to presage something ominous approaching. Her instincts tensed, scanning the darkening horizon where thunderclouds gathered like silent witnesses to an impending, inevitable change.

As Harold watched his cat meticulously align every shoe in the house with a balletic elegance, he wondered if this bizarre presage—surely an omen of impending chaos—meant another spontaneous indoor rainstorm was on the way, or, worse, the in-laws were planning an ambush visit.

The precocious parrot's uncanny pronouncements—"Feathered fiend fears feline!"—seemed to presage a calamitous confrontation. Indeed, the ensuing avian altercation, a veritable tempest of squawks and pilfered sunflower seeds, vindicated the ornithological oracle's portentous pronouncements with uproarious absurdity.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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