foreshadow
for-SHAD-oh
/fɔːrˈʃæd.oʊ/
To give a subtle hint or indication of a future event in a story.
Foreshadowing creates narrative suspense and makes eventual plot twists feel earned rather than random.
The story behind the word. A compound of 'fore' ('in advance') and 'shadow' ('faint image or shade'). The metaphor implies an event coming around a corner casts its shadow ahead of itself into the present.
Word relationships
- portend: Carries a darker, heavier tone suggesting an omen of impending danger.
- prefigure: Slightly more formal, often used in religious or historical contexts to describe an early prototype.
- recapitulate: To summarize or review past events after they have occurred.
Commonly confused with
- exposition: Exposition explains what happened in the past; foreshadowing hints at what will happen in the future.
Word family
- foreshadowing (noun): The use of clues to suggest events that have yet to occur.
Collocations
- subtly foreshadow
- foreshadow tragedy
- foreshadow the outcome
- early event foreshadows
Idioms & expressions
- cast a shadow before
Example sentences
- "The early passing storm in chapter two seems to foreshadow the tragic demise of the main character." Literary Criticism
Memory hook
FORE-SHADOW — an event's SHADOW arrives BEFORE the event itself does. A shadow cast ahead by an approaching event.
When not to use
Do not use foreshadow to describe an outright spoiler or explicit reveal; it must be a subtle advance hint.
Fun facts
- Chekhov's Gun is a famous principle of foreshadowing: if a gun is shown on the wall in act one, it must be fired by act three.
Explore more words
foreshadowing, foreboding, foresee, prophecy, denouement, anticipate
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