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

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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
  • The model uses a World Reasoning Action Model (WRAM) architecture that connects reasoning, prediction and physical action, allowing robots to interpret instructions, anticipate outcomes and translate decisions into movements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Forecasters caution, however, that these predictions are just that, predictions.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of prediction
Noun
  • Normally, these sorts of acrobatics early on are a bad omen for the season, but Robyn, Tia, and Stacey are clearly willing to cut through the hemming and hawing and force the group to address conflicts head-on.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
  • While black cats tend to be associated with bad luck, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History states that there are folklore where they are considered to be good omens.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of omen
Noun
  • That’s the practice of fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards.
    — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of divination
Noun
  • For example, accurate weather forecasting is essential for tourism and agriculture.
    — Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Deoras said forecasting had improved for large weather systems, but local thunderstorms and flash floods remained difficult to predict, leaving dangerous gaps in protection.
    — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of forecasting
Noun
  • He is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Koslow’s screen career began in 1976 as the writer of the film Lifeguard, a ’70s-era Baywatch forerunner starring a hunky Sam Elliott and Anne Archer.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • Still, the latest forecasts can help provide a roadmap for cities to prepare for potential impacts and allocate resources.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The government will report Thursday on growth for the July-September quarter, which is expected to reach 3%, according to a forecast by data provider FactSet.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 28 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Augury.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/augury. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on augury

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about augury

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All