1
as in forerunner
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
2
as in miracle
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of portent
Black cats can be portents of bad luck.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025
Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
-
The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Luckily, a miracle came to me in the form of a workhorse concealer.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Other sertanejo and agronejo artists content themselves with promoting agrobusiness interests through their lyrics, praising industrial farming and the miracle of pesticides.—
Carolina Abbott Galvão,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Such reactions from a judge are not generally considered a favorable omen for a litigant.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But those ghosts disappeared as the snow arrived, an omen of big Patriots playoffs wins if there ever was one.—
Andrew Callahan,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The miniseries takes an anthological approach, examining how the mysterious facility causes all manner of paranormal phenomena on The Loop’s many citizens.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The problem is that it is regularly dismissed as gentrification, a phenomenon that is not usually cheered.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Alessandro Michele, at Valentino, was also thinking of how to collide reality and fantasy, staging his collection in nooks inspired by the kaiser panorama, an early 20th century precursor to cinema, in which viewers sat around a circle, staring into a contraption displaying slides.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Passionate about utopian socialism and architecture, Gaudí’s forms and shapes were totally fresh, otherworldly and are sometimes referred to as a precursor of the Surrealist movement, of which Salvador Dalí was a key proponent.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An evening of short plays by Louisville writers that spark wonder, challenge convention, and reflect the heart and diversity of our region.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The writer of these lines wonders if going after, unearthing, and capturing family secrets and issues on film isn’t emotionally draining.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With Division 1 being wide open this season, this early-season matchup is a possible foreshadowing of a postseason matchup.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
23 Dec. 2025
-
Vance Joseph provided a bit of foreshadowing earlier this month.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Despite its heavy premise, Dying for Sex is a lithe and witty marvel that celebrates life and lust in equal measure.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
As architectural feats, the mansions truly are marvels.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
