augury

noun

ˈȯ-gyə-rē How to pronounce augury (audio)
Definition of augurynext
1
as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future a yearbook augury that of all the graduates, he would be the most likely to succeed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in omen
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event some people believe that a broken mirror is an augury of seven years' bad luck

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3
as in divination
the art or practice of foretelling future events by interpreting omens the gift of augury that Nostradamus purportedly possessed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of augury Dream books offered augury, poetry, and purpose—a kind of secular scripture for the numbers game. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 If EVs are any augury, America’s days at technology’s vanguard might be numbered. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025 These signs seem to confirm Sahm’s augury that the economy remains healthy. — David Thomas, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Remarkably, Kushner’s augury of a world coming apart holds true three decades later, including his prognostications about the dangers of climate change and the radical partisanship of the judiciary. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for augury
Recent Examples of Synonyms for augury
  1. prediction
  2. omen
  3. divination
  4. forecasting
  5. forerunner
  6. forecast
  7. portent
  8. predicting
Noun
  • On Thursday, the hurricane center cranked up the predictions for rainfall for the panhandle.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • By then, despite the predictions, Callum was walking and talking.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of prediction
Noun
  • Could this be an omen for tonight’s game and the rest of the series against the Dodgers?
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Now, traders are assessing what the moves mean for a swath of assets and wondering whether yields’ rapid climb is an omen that something could break in the market.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of omen
Noun
  • Oracles, prophets and practices of divination offered guidance from inscrutable or enigmatic sources when ordinary human judgment reached its limits.
    — Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Kylie’s divinations lead her to a small English town called Thornfield.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of divination
Noun
  • An area of thunderstorms had hit this region in the Caribbean on Thursday night and could have contributed to the turbulence, Dan DePodwin, vice president of forecasting operations, told the Herald.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The organization disburses the funds as grants for projects, including trail maintenance, emergency first responder training and equipment, avalanche forecasting and more, according to its website.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of forecasting
Noun
  • Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • So don't limit your northern lights hunt to those forecast windows.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Barclays raised its forecasts for Henkel's haircare growth through 2028, with growth expected to accelerate further from the third quarter of 2027.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of forecast
Noun
  • Eager to interpret the gods’ will—surely, stones that trailed light must hold sacred portent—the Romans consulted the Sibylline Books.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Grâce à la merveilleuse découverte de la Science Chrétienne, nos prières pour le monde sont efficaces et portent leurs fruits.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of portent
Noun
  • With the 2025 college football season on the horizon, months of previewing and predicting soon will be in the rearview mirror.
    — Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of predicting

Browse Nearby Words

augurs
augury
august
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Cite this Entry

“Augury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/augury. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on augury

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about augury

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