portend

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verb por·tend \pȯr-ˈtend\

Definition of portend

transitive verb
1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of
2 : indicate, signify

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Examples of portend in a Sentence

The distant thunder portended a storm.
If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.

Recent Examples of portend from the Web

Still, sharp divisions — portending likely conflicts in the future for negotiators — were readily apparent.

— don lee, latimes.com, "After 3 days and 140 witnesses, public hearing on NAFTA hints at huge work ahead for U.S. negotiators", 29 June 2017
Does this mature look portend the next phase in his ongoing evolution?

— lizzie logan, Allure, "Eminem Got a New Beard and the Internet Can't Handle It", 23 June 2017
Ten months ago, Maness, then a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the injury that portends Tommy John surgery.

— rustin dodd, kansascity, "Royals reliever Seth Maness a pioneer in baseball’s battle against elbow injuries", 6 June 2017
Does the Republican health care plan — the American Health Care Act — portend an 800 percent premium increase for low-income Florida seniors?

— amy sherman asherman@miamiherald.com, miamiherald, "Chris King says GOP health care bill mean steep increases for seniors", 6 June 2017
Online shopping, job automation and store closings combine to portend a loss of up to half of current retail jobs in the country.

— michelle smith, kansascity, "Morning Rush: Greitens’ style criticized, Summer of Love lookback, climate deal pullout", 2 June 2017
That was not just because of his line drive home runs, which traveled 440 and 434 feet, but because of what a return to last year’s form might portend for the Yankees.

— billy witz, New York Times, "Yankees Crush Blue Jays as Gary Sanchez Homers Twice", 1 June 2017
Current conditions across the Atlantic basin and beyond portend a favorable environment for tropical cyclone development in the coming months.

— brian mcnoldy, Washington Post, "Hurricane season kicks off today, and odds are it will be busier than normal", 1 June 2017
This seems to be all right with the conservative right wing, and today's growing income gap, along with decreasing environmental protections, portends that that may be our future once again.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Speak Out", 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'portend'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Portend has been used in English in the context of signs of things to come since the 15th century. The word derives from the Latin verb portendere, which means "to predict or foretell." That verb, in turn, developed as a combination of the prefix por- (meaning "forward") and the verb "tendere" (meaning "to stretch"). So you can think of "portend" as having a literal meaning of "stretching forward to predict." Additional descendants of "tendere" include "extend," "tendon," and "tension," among others.