portent

noun

por·​tent ˈpȯr-ˌtent 

1

: something that foreshadows a coming event : omen, sign

2

: prophetic indication or significance

3

: marvel, prodigy

Synonyms

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

Examples of portent in a Sentence

a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm

a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world

Recent Examples on the Web

Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025

As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive. —The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

Televisual séances are no longer nightly, much less consensual, which is why the move by CBS is seen as a portent of a more general house cleaning over at NBC and ABC. —Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025

Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s. —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin portentum, from neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

portent

noun

por·​tent ˈpȯ(ə)r-ˌtent 

ˈpō(ə)r-

: a sign or warning of a coming event : omen