Portent
noun /ˈpɔː.tent/ — A sign or warning that something significant is about to happen
Definition
A sign or warning of a momentous or calamitous event about to happen — typically an unusual or ominous phenomenon interpreted as a message from fate.
Beyond the definition
The world speaking before the event. A portent makes you understand that something is happening whether or not you have words for it yet.
Origin & history
From Latin 'portentum' (omen, monster, portent) — from 'portendere' (to predict, to foretell) — 'por' (forward) + 'tendere' (to stretch). What stretches forward in time.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The eclipse was taken as a portent — of what, exactly, the augurs disagreed.
The sudden silence of birds in a forest is one of nature's oldest portents.
Whether or not portents are real, they are useful: they make us pay attention to what we might otherwise ignore.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Portent” when the meaning fits your context: A sign or warning of a momentous or calamitous event about to happen — typically an unusual or ominous phenomenon interpreted as a message from fate.
Synonyms
Antonyms
reassurance
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Portent" mean?
Portent is noun meaning: A sign or warning that something significant is about to happen. A sign or warning of a momentous or calamitous event about to happen — typically an unusual or ominous phenomenon interpreted as a message from fate.
Where does the word "Portent" come from?
From Latin 'portentum' (omen, monster, portent) — from 'portendere' (to predict, to foretell) — 'por' (forward) + 'tendere' (to stretch). What stretches forward in time.