forebode
/fɔɹˈbɔʊd/verb
forebode is spelled F-O-R-E-B-O-D-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 76 million words in written English, the 275,970th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, forebode means “To predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in forebode?
| Letters | 8: F-O-R-E-B-O-D-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 76 million words; the 275,970th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is forebode?
Forebode appears about once in every 76 million words in written English, the 275,970th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce forebode?
- US /fɔɹˈbɔʊd/
- UK /fɔːˈbəʊd/
Forebode has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-forebode.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of forebode
- forebodes present, singular, he/she/it
- foreboding participle, present
- foreboded participle, past
- forbode
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does forebode mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device).
- 2
To be prescient of (some ill or misfortune); to have an inward conviction of, as of a calamity which is about to happen; to augur despondingly.
noun
- 1
obsoleteprognostication; presage
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Forebode in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as :
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | voraussehen, ahnen |
| Spanish | presagiar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does forebode come from?
From Middle English foreboden, from Old English forebodian, equivalent to fore- + bode.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).