Adumbrate

To adumbrate means to outline or sketch something in a vague or incomplete way. It often refers to the act of foreshadowing or hinting at a future event or idea without providing full clarity or details. This term can apply to artistic expressions, literary contexts, and even in everyday conversation where something is implied rather than explicitly stated.

Adumbrate meaning with examples

• In her latest novel, the author adumbrates the protagonist's internal struggles, hinting at deeper issues without fully disclosing them until the climax of the story, thereby maintaining an aura of mystery and engaging the reader's imagination.
• During the lecture, the professor adumbrated the key themes of the upcoming semester, touching upon major concepts but leaving many questions unanswered to pique students' curiosity and encourage further exploration of the subject matter.
• The artist's use of shadows in the painting adumbrates the emotional depth of the landscape, suggesting an underlying tension between the serene beauty of nature and the turmoil of the characters' lives within it.
• In the meeting, the CEO adumbrated plans for the company's future initiatives, providing a broad overview that left employees eager for more details about the strategies that would be implemented in the coming months.
• The diplomat adumbrated potential consequences of the treaty negotiations, warning that while some benefits might arise, significant challenges and complexities would also need to be addressed in order to achieve lasting peace.