Thesaurus results for PORTENT

portent

noun

ˈpȯr-ˌtent

Definition of portent

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

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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 That Mann and his daughter, at a posh Frankfurt hotel party, glimpse so many remnants of the Nazi era — including Erika’s ex-husband, who collaborated with the regime — is another portent of darkness. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 May 2026 Hurley says there are already portents of future protests against SpaceX’s plan, sparked by its lofting just 10,000 Starlink satellites so far into low Earth orbit. — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 The company’s example was seen by many as a portent of the AI future. — Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026 Rather than receiving traditional care, however, Hylton was unwittingly plunged into a cold experiment in using remote work to offset hospital staffing shortages, which could be a grim portent in an age of AI automation. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for portent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

The miracle behind Cruz’s discovery is that amphibians such as frogs, toads and salamanders rarely make it into the fossil records because of their fragile skeletons.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Between these firsthand testimonies from veterans, his own medical miracle, and the spiritual experience, Perry became convinced that helping legitimize ibogaine should be his life’s mission.

— Michelle Lhooq, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of miracle

Noun

The omens are less obvious on a hot summer day with clear skies.

— Rio Yamat, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
On the company’s quarterly earnings call early Wednesday, the executive made a case for Spidey being a positive omen for Marvel‘s big team-up movie in December.

— James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of omen

Noun

Norway's soccer star Erling Haaland's face has appeared on billboards, trading cards and television screens, becoming a social media phenomenon for scoring seven goals across four World Cup matches in July.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
The phenomenon was named for English astronomer Francis Baily, who noted them during an annular eclipse on May 15, 1836.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of phenomenon

Noun

That facility is described as a precursor to the larger Terafab project.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Exhibits will include original equipment, Cold War archives, veterans’ oral histories, and a rare early ARPANET system—a precursor to today’s internet.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

What drags the installment down, however, is the sheer predictability and lack of dissent, with seven out of the nine votes being unanimous — a foreshadowing of seasons to come.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
The late-May timing of the FISU announcement could serve as consequential foreshadowing of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) annual congress.

— Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Definition of foreshadowing

Noun

This week's quiz highlights family fun, medical marvels — and a lot more.

— Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
The man responsible for one of the greatest engineering marvels of his time, the 233-mile aqueduct that gave a semiarid region a world-class city, now admitted responsibility for one of the greatest engineering disasters in American history.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of marvel

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portends

portent

portentous

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“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of portent

noun

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