Synonyms of foresee

foresee

verb

fȯr-ˈsē 

as in to anticipate

to realize or know about beforehand

a freak accident that no one could possibly have foreseen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• anticipate
• predict
• divine
• fear
• envision
• foreknow
• foretell
• envisage
• prevision
• presage
• forecast
• visualize
• perceive
• prognosticate
• foreshadow
• prophesy
• forefeel
• prefigure
• dread
• forewarn
• augur
• alert
• caution
• discern
• preview
• apprehend
• foretoken
• descry

Synonym Chooser

How is the word foresee different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of foresee are anticipate, divine, and foreknow. While all these words mean "to know beforehand," foresee implies nothing about how the knowledge is derived and may apply to ordinary reasoning and experience.

economists should have foreseen the recession

When could anticipate be used to replace foresee?

Although the words anticipate and foresee have much in common, anticipate implies taking action about or responding emotionally to something before it happens.

the waiter anticipated our every need

How are the words divine and foresee related?

Divine adds to foresee the suggestion of exceptional wisdom or discernment.

was able to divine Europe's rapid recovery from the war

When is it sensible to use foreknow instead of foresee?

The synonyms foreknow and foresee are sometimes interchangeable, but foreknow usually implies supernatural assistance, as through revelation.

if only we could foreknow our own destinies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foresee

In fact, Rystad foresees oil at $85-$90 per barrel in the last three months of the year, and falling to $80-$82 next year if Hormuz is reopened. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

For the OGs, who couldn’t foresee the full scope of what this meant, the consequences might feel the starkest. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Despite the hype, investors don't foresee a big move — and some think the news could prompt investors to offload shares. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Fellow assistant coaches foresee Theis as Hill’s successor somewhere down the road. — Anya Armentrout, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2026