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Forebode vs Anticipate - What's the difference?

forebode | anticipate |

As verbs the difference between forebode and anticipate

is that forebode is to predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device) while anticipate is to act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.

As a noun forebode

is prognostication; presage.

forebode

English

Alternative forms

* forbode (much less commonly used)

Verb

(forebod)
  • To predict a future event; to hint at something that will happen (especially as a literary device).
  • * (Nathaniel Hawthorne), The Scarlet Letter
    • There can be, if I forebode aright, no power, short of the Divine mercy, to disclose, whether by uttered words, or by type or emblem, the secrets that may be buried with a human heart.
  • To be prescient of (some ill or misfortune); to have an inward conviction of, as of a calamity which is about to happen; to augur despondingly.
  • * Tennyson
    • His heart forebodes a mystery.
  • * Middleton
    • Sullen, desponding, and foreboding nothing but wars and desolation, as the certain consequence of Caesar's death.
  • * H. James
    • I have a sort of foreboding about him.

    Noun

  • (obsolete) prognostication; presage

    • See also

    * bode

    anticipate

    English

    Verb

    (anticipat)
  • To act before (someone), especially to prevent an action.
    • To anticipate and prevent the duke's purpose. --R. Hall.
    He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. -- .
  • to take up or introduce (something) prematurely.
    • The advocate plans to anticipate a part of her argument.
  • to know of (something) before it happens; to expect.
    • to anticipate the pleasures of a visit
    to anticipate the evils of life
    Please anticipate a journey of an hour from your house to the airport
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=31 citation , passage=The task was more to Appleby's liking than the one he had anticipated , and it was necessary, since the smaller merchants in Cuba and also in parts of Peninsular Spain have no great confidence in bankers, and prefer a packet of golden onzas or a bag of pesetas to the best accredited cheque.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011
    • , date=October 2 , author=Jonathan Jurejko , title=Bolton 1 - 5 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=And with Bolton suffering a wretched run of five straight home defeats - their worst run in 109 years - Chelsea fans would have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable win.
    But surely they did not anticipate the ease with which their team raced into an almost impregnable half-time lead.}}
  • to eagerly wait for (something)
    • Little Johnny started to anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus a week before Christmas.

    Usage notes

    The words anticipate'' and ''expect'' both regard some future event as likely to take place. Nowadays they are often used interchangeably although ''anticipate is associated with acting because of an expectation. (E.g. skilled sportsmen anticipate the action and position themselves accordingly.)

    Synonyms

    * (to act before someone) preclude * (to take up or introduce something prematurely) * (to know of something before it manifests) expect, foretaste, foresee * (to eagerly await something) look forward to

    Related terms

    * anticipation