Foreshadow

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /fɔːˈʃædəʊ/

Definitions

1. To give an indication or hint of something that will happen later, typically through subtle signs or early suggestions
2. To suggest or hint at future events through early clues or subtle indications
3. To provide advance warning or glimpses of what will occur later through suggestive signs

Etymology: The verb "foreshadow" is built from two plain English parts. "Fore-" means "before" in time, and "shadow" once meant to shade, cloud, or darken something. Put together, the sense is literally to cast a shadow ahead of something, so that a coming event is dimly visible before it arrives. The shadow image is older than the word itself, which is why the figure feels so natural: a darkness that falls on the future before the thing that causes it appears. The noun followed a different path. It came from the same pair of elements, but meant a faint and imperfect representation of something, a rough outline or sketch rather than a dark patch. Its origin is probably modelled on the verb, which is attested earlier, so the sense of hinting ahead came first and the noun grew out of it.

Synonyms: predict, foretell, indicate