portent

noun

por·​tent ˈpȯr-ˌtent 

1

: something that foreshadows a coming event : omen, sign

2

: prophetic indication or significance

3

: marvel, prodigy

Synonyms

• augury
• auspice
• boding
• foreboding
• foreshadowing
• omen
• prefiguring
• presage

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

And the portents were not just in Henderson’s and Nuzzo’s paper. —David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025

Matthew stresses royalty, prefacing the birth with heavenly portents; afterward, Magi bear royal gifts to a future king. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025

But the attacks could have been interpreted very differently: as a horrific case of blowback and a portent of resistance to U.S. hegemony. —Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023

Weinstein’s thuggish joke was just one portent of the edgy, borderline sinister air that permeated the party from the very beginning. —Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 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