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

• portent
• forerunner
• prediction
• augury
• 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

For England head coach Lee Carsley, positive omens surrounded him before this summer’s Under-21 European Championship had even begun. —Art De Roché, New York Times, 28 June 2025

Every morning, my phone screen lights up to more ill omens. —Jayson Greene, Time, 17 June 2025

A couple of the bad omens: ◾ Judas, the 13th person at the Last Supper in the Bible, is believed to have betrayed Jesus. ◾ Friday: Several unsettling events occurred on the day, including Jesus' crucifixion. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 13 June 2025

Certain owls and eagles were considered powerful divinatory omens, while smaller avian species like thrushes were popular as both pets and meals. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 11 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin omin-, omen

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for omen

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

Kids Definition

omen

noun

ˈō-mən 

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