omen

noun

ˈō-mən 

: an occurrence or phenomenon (see phenomenon sense 1) believed to portend a future event : augury

The dark clouds were considered a bad omen.

Synonyms of omen

• portent
• forerunner
• augury
• prediction
• foreshadowing
• precursor
• presage
• hint
• suggestion
• foreboding
• herald

Examples of omen in a Sentence

They regarded the win as a good omen for the team.

omens of things to come

Recent Examples on the Web

Normally, these sorts of acrobatics early on are a bad omen for the season, but Robyn, Tia, and Stacey are clearly willing to cut through the hemming and hawing and force the group to address conflicts head-on. — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026

While black cats tend to be associated with bad luck, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History states that there are folklore where they are considered to be good omens. — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026

Corral has no crystal ball, but the early omens are promising after Casey Bloys signed a new multiyear deal to oversee HBO Max and Paramount+ in a new role at Skydance. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

But from the first scenes, omens lay the groundwork for a sinking spiral of evolving tragedy. — Bill Hirschman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin omin-, omen

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for omen

• bowmen
• coman
• foeman
• foemen
• gnomon
• nomen
• roman
• showman
• showmen
• soman
• toman
• yeoman

Kids Definition

omen

noun

ˈō-mən 

: a happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event