forewarning
Early heads-up given
A forewarning is advance notice of something unpleasant or dangerous that may happen.
It gives you time to prepare or take precautions: The dark clouds were a forewarning of the storm to come.
Unlike a warning issued in the moment, a forewarning emphasizes the element of foresight—receiving the information before it's urgently needed.
The verb forewarn means to give such advance notice: No one forewarned us about the construction delays.
Careful attention to risk
- alertWarning or watchfulness
- noticeBecome aware of
- heads-upInformal advance warning
- advisoryNotice recommending action
caveat · admonition · precaution · vigilance · wariness · heedfulness · circumspection · prudence
Sign of future calamity
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- signMark conveying information
- presageIndicate beforehand
- forebodingFearful anticipation of harm
foreshadowing · augury · auspice · prophecy · prognostication · herald · indication · premonition
Urgent warning signal
- sirenWailing alert device
- beaconGuiding light source
- flareSudden bright burst
- alertWarning or watchfulness
bell · horn · notification · signal · announcement · broadcast · evacuation notice · smoke signal
Advance sense of future events
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- precognitionParanormal future awareness
- clairvoyanceExtrasensory perception ability
vision · psychic · foresight · gut feeling · hunch · inkling · feeling · sense
End or gratuity
- tip-offAdvance secret warning
- wordLinguistic meaning unit
- newsReports of recent events
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
advance notice · insider information · leak · hint · clue · briefing · report · message
caution
Careful attention to risk
advisory · caveat · admonition · precaution · vigilance · wariness · heedfulness · circumspection · prudence · watchfulness
portent
Sign of future calamity
foreboding · foreshadowing · augury · auspice · prophecy · prognostication · herald · indication · premonition · presentiment
alarm
Urgent warning signal
alert · bell · horn · notification · signal · announcement · broadcast · evacuation notice · smoke signal · distress signal
premonition
Advance sense of future events
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- sixth senseExtrasensory perception ability
- precognitionParanormal future awareness
clairvoyance · vision · psychic · foresight · gut feeling · hunch · inkling · feeling · sense · presentiment
tip
End or gratuity
intelligence · advance notice · insider information · leak · hint · clue · briefing · report · message · counsel
forewarninghindsight
Recognition after the fact
retrospection · postmortem · afterthought · looking back · reflection
forewarninglure
Thing that tempts
enticement · allurement · temptation · siren call · bait
forewarningsurprise
Unexpected event causing astonishment
ambush · bolt from the blue · blindside · without warning · shock