forespell

F4O1R1E1S1P3E1L1L1

verb

To spell in advance; foretell; make a warning about something upcoming; tell or indicate beforehand; predict

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Scrabble 14

Meanings

verbforespell (third-person singular simple present forespells, present participle forespelling, simple past and past participle forespelled or forespelt)

present singular third person forespells · participle present forespelling · participle past forespelled · past forespelled · participle past forespelt · past forespelt

  1. transitiveTo spell in advance; foretell; make a warning about something upcoming; tell or indicate beforehand; predict

    The wind seemed to forespell my doom as it gusted into the room, blowing out half the candles in the circle, and sending the spray of rose petals around us dancing into the far corners of the room.

    2010, Katie MacAlister, A Girl's Guide to Vampires - Page 19
    3 more examples

    The single boat, locus of misunderstanding about the loaves by a single group, is developed in two directions: Jesus' boat forespells the ability to understand the feeding sign, while the Tiberias boats forespell the opposite.

    2004, Ian D. Mackay, John's Relationship with Mark

    [...] in the idea and the practical ideal of Europe, that of a harmonious unity of the life of nations with its sources in the rational spirit, has been undermined," did Husserl not forespell what was to befall Europe from 1939-1945 and afterwards?

    2012, R.P. Buckley, Husserl, Heidegger and the Crisis of Philosophical Responsibility - Page 4

    We cannot easily forespell the precise cost effects of this delay of substitution possibilities. It depends not only on the estimated consumption volumes of new drugs and the price differentials between branded original drugs and generic drugs, [...]

    2013, H.W. de Jong, Progress in Intercalation Research - Page 254

    Synonyms: presage

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo spell in advance; foretell; make a warning about something upcoming; tell or indicate beforehand; predict

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Origin

From fore- + spell. Compare Dutch voorspellen (“to predict”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

forespell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forespell

MLA

“forespell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forespell. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forespell,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forespell.

Source: forespell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.