seen coming
Anticipated from afar
Something seen coming is anticipated or predictable before it happens.
The phrase almost always appears in negative constructions: I never saw it coming, She didn't see it coming.
To say someone should have seen it coming implies the signs were there but they failed to recognize them.
Occasionally positive: I saw that coming a mile away.
- foreseePredict future events
- crystal ballFortune-teller's viewing sphere
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- foresightAbility to anticipate futures
- planningArranging for future events
premonition · recognition · forewarning · train wreck · disaster waiting to happen · telegraphed · intuition · detection · obvious · plain as day · dead giveaway · insight · readiness · inevitable · prophecy · discernment · expectation · vigilance
seen comingunexpected
Not anticipated beforehand
unforeseen · surprising · blindsided · out of the blue · bolt from the blue
seen comingambushed
Attacked from concealment
broadsided · taken by surprise · sneak attack · rude awakening · wake-up call
see, seen, seeing, sees, seer, seers, sight, sightly, unsightly