portent
noun
por·tent ˈpȯr-ˌtent 
1
: something that foreshadows a coming event : omen, sign
2
: prophetic indication or significance
3
: marvel, prodigy
Synonyms
- augury
- auspice
- boding
- foreboding
- foreshadowing
- omen
- prefiguring
- presage
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
Recent Examples on the Web In some moments, a light panel, glowing red with nameless portent, drops down low, just above the head of a singer, threatening to crush her by ultraviolet force. 
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 Thus a look into the past becomes a chilling portent of the future. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 27 June 2022 The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2022 in January was 5.9%, the highest increase in 40 years — a portent of the rising cost of living in America. Hunter Boyce, ajc, 6 June 2022 Whether delivered via text, WhatsApp, email or — shudder — Slack, these three words appear in front of you like a portent of terrible things to come. Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 29 Mar. 2022 From the vantage of 2021, the novel is a double portent: a dystopian fantasy and an early spark in the tinderbox of the curriculum wars. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2021 That need has come into sharp focus in recent days, with separatist forces shelling dozens of Ukrainian military positions and civilian targets along the front – a possible portent of wider Russian aggression against Ukraine. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2022 The astonishing night two skate propelled him to fifth overall -- off the medal stand but a portent of things to come. Mark Osborne, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2022 Yet Maserati promises that the MC20 isn't an abstract halo car but a portent for the more attainable models as well. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 25 Mar. 2022 See More
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 July 2022 Thus a look into the past becomes a chilling portent of the future. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 27 June 2022 The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2022 in January was 5.9%, the highest increase in 40 years — a portent of the rising cost of living in America. Hunter Boyce, ajc, 6 June 2022 Whether delivered via text, WhatsApp, email or — shudder — Slack, these three words appear in front of you like a portent of terrible things to come. Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 29 Mar. 2022 From the vantage of 2021, the novel is a double portent: a dystopian fantasy and an early spark in the tinderbox of the curriculum wars. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2021 That need has come into sharp focus in recent days, with separatist forces shelling dozens of Ukrainian military positions and civilian targets along the front – a possible portent of wider Russian aggression against Ukraine. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb. 2022 The astonishing night two skate propelled him to fifth overall -- off the medal stand but a portent of things to come. Mark Osborne, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2022 Yet Maserati promises that the MC20 isn't an abstract halo car but a portent for the more attainable models as well. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 25 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin portentum, from neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere
First Known Use
1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
portent
noun
por·tent ˈpȯr-ˌtent
: a sign or warning of something usually bad that is going to happen : omen
portents
noun
1
as in omens
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- omens
- forebodings
- foreshadowings
- auguries
- predictions
- hints
- presages
- heralds
- auspices
- suggestions
- harbingers
- prophecies
- bodings
- forerunners
- precursors
- intimations
- prophesies
- foretastes
- badges
- straws in the wind
- inklings
- forewarnings
- prognostications
- forecasts
- divinations
- tokens
- marks
- notes
2
as in miracles
something extraordinary or surprising a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world Synonyms & Similar Words
- miracles
- wonders
- marvels
- prodigies
- phenomena
- phenomenons
- splendors
- beauties
- sensations
- spectacles
- flashes
- cautions
- apparitions
- sights
- curiosities
- appearances
- corkers
- dandies
- crackajacks
- knockouts
- jim-dandies
- crackerjacks