Foredoom

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːduːm/

Definitions

1. To destine or condemn to a certain fate beforehand, especially to failure or ruin
2. To predestine someone or something to experience misfortune or undesired outcomes prior to their occurrence
3. To determine in advance that a person or situation will face negative consequences or an unfortunate destiny

Etymology: "Foredoom" is simply "fore-" attached to "doom," with "fore-" meaning "before" or "in advance," so the verb means to condemn or destine something to ruin before it happens. "Doom" itself goes back to Old English "dōm," a word for judgment, decree or statute, which is a sense the English word still carries in its older legal and religious uses. The meaning narrowed over time toward a fatal outcome, so "doom" came to mean destruction rather than simply a ruling. The prefix "fore-" is the same element found in "foresee," "foretell" and "forewarn," and "foredoom" follows that pattern exactly, applying a verdict before the event takes place. The word is a compound of familiar English parts, so its history is essentially the history of its two components.

Synonyms: predestine, doom, fate, foreordain, predetermine

Antonyms: free, liberate, release, unbind, discharge