A sense of foreboding
Meaning
A strong, often unsettling feeling that something bad or unpleasant is about to happen.
Origin
The word "foreboding" itself weaves a rich tapestry of anticipation, stemming from the Old English "forebodian"—a compound of "fore" (before) and "bodian" (to announce). Imagine ancient seafarers or hunters, their instincts finely tuned to nature's whispers, feeling a prickling unease before a storm broke or prey vanished. It wasn't just a thought; it was a visceral, inexplicable "announcement beforehand" deep within their being. Over centuries, this intrinsic human capacity to sense impending trouble solidified into the phrase "a sense of foreboding," capturing that chilling, internal premonition that something dark lurks just beyond the horizon, a feeling passed down through generations of human experience.
Examples
- As the dark clouds gathered on the horizon, a deep sense of foreboding settled over the small town.
- She couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that gnawed at her, despite her attempts to reassure herself that everything would be fine.