Did you know?
It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to refer to the dense white fibrous tissue that helps us, well, stretch—but it’s likely true. Portend comes from the Latin verb portendere (“to predict or foretell”), which in turn developed as a combination of the prefix por- (“forward”) and the verb tendere (“to stretch”). Tendere is thought to have led to tendon, among other words. So you might imagine portend as having a literal meaning of “stretching forward to predict.” In any event, the history of the word surely showcases the flexibility of our language.
Examples of portend in a Sentence
Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Does a return to the sound and the collaborators of 1989 also portend a return to the blockbuster status of 1989?
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 21 Aug. 2025
Mpox researchers and doctors say the lackluster global response portends poorly for mpox's future potential as well as other disease threats.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
And the future portends even more dealmaking.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portend. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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portend
verb
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