portend

por·tend | \ pȯr-ˈtend

How to pronounce portend (audio)

\

portended; portending; portends

Definition of portend

transitive verb

1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of

2 : indicate, signify

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about portend

Keep scrolling for more

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.

Examples of portend in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web This week’s release postponements portend a tough road ahead. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "Column: ‘Black Widow,’ ‘West Side Story’ postponed again, this time to 2021. Theaters are stuck and closing again," 23 Sep. 2020 Including one Wall Street indicator that could portend bad things to come for growth investors. — Anne Sraders, Fortune, "This stock market metric has never been further out of whack," 20 Sep. 2020 There are good arguments to be made for refining Japan’s defense spending, according to analysts who argue that such shifts should not portend any major alteration of Abe’s grand strategy. — Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, "Abe resignation may rile US-Japan ties calmed by personal bond with Trump," 29 Aug. 2020 Does this portend a permanent shift in work arrangements, along with long-term deteriorating of office properties in downtown Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale and elsewhere around the state? — Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, "Will COVID-19 end offices in metro Phoenix? These industry experts say 'no'," 17 Sep. 2020 Dozens of other tribes echoed Nez’s call, fearing what this case could portend for their own sovereignty. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "The Federal Government Killed a Navajo Man Just to Prove It Could," 26 Aug. 2020 The coronavirus pandemic, by bringing into sharp focus anti-scientific beliefs among a broad segment of the president's supporters, offers a preview of the clashing worldviews that QAnon could portend, Zuckerman added. — Anchorage Daily News, "How the Trump campaign came to court QAnon, the online conspiracy movement identified by the FBI as a violent threat," 2 Aug. 2020 That could portend another ominous gap between the popular vote and the all-important electoral vote tally. — Damon Linker, TheWeek, "Is Joe Biden's polling advantage weaker than it appears?," 26 Aug. 2020 Four years later, the lack of a clear, consistent message could portend trouble. — Jill Colvin, Zeke Miller, Jonathan Lemire, Anchorage Daily News, "Radical or moderate? Trump paints Democratic ticket as both," 13 Aug. 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about portend

Listen to Our Podcast about portend

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries near portend

Port Egmont hen

Statistics for portend

Last Updated

3 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portend. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for portend

portend

verb

English Language Learners Definition of portend

formal + literary : to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen

See the full definition for portend in the English Language Learners Dictionary

portend

por·tend | \ pȯr-ˈtend

\

portended; portending

Kids Definition of portend

: to give a sign or warning of beforehand Distant thunder portended a storm.

WORD OF THE DAY

repine

Listen to the pronunciation of repine

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Namesakes Word Quiz

Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.