Thesaurus results for HARBINGER

Q: How is the word 'harbinger' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of harbinger are forerunner , herald , and precursor . While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event. // their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season // the herald of a new age in medicine

Q: When would 'forerunner' be a good substitute for 'harbinger'?

While the synonyms forerunner and harbinger are close in meaning, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage. // the blockade was the forerunner of war

Q: When could 'precursor' be used to replace 'harbinger'?

The meanings of precursor and harbinger largely overlap; however, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another. // 18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

harbinger 1 of 2

noun

ˈhär-bən-jər

Definition of harbinger

as in herald

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come

Synonyms & Similar Words

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harbinger

2 of 2

verb

as in to herald

to give a slight indication of beforehand the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word harbinger distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of harbinger are forerunner, herald, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season

the herald of a new age in medicine

When would forerunner be a good substitute for harbinger?

While the synonyms forerunner and harbinger are close in meaning, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When could precursor be used to replace harbinger?

The meanings of precursor and harbinger largely overlap; however, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

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 harbinger

Noun

Breast Cancer Month events The Gulliver swimmers’ July fundraiser for the American Cancer Society was a harbinger of what remains a busy October in Miami-Dade and Broward for Breast Cancer Month awareness events. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 This structural change is typically a harbinger of rapid intensification. — Bryant K. Oden, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

This could harbinger a new age of electro-tech in Asia. — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for harbinger

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger

Noun

The comedy-drama heralds from Adeel Ahmed and writer-director Batra’s film and TV outfit Poetic License, and is being produced in partnership with Jio Studios (Dhurandhar), and Good Chaos (Ballad Of A Small Player).

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Chain bookselling, which enabled the unification of the reading market, was one of the first heralds of a globalizing age.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of herald

Verb

On the title track Chen reaches for the psaltery (a kind of zither without frets), creating a meandering, medieval atmosphere whose ubiquitous electronic background buzz foreshadows the biting screams and blistering bass to come.

— James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
Weeks before the election, the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC allied with House Speaker Mike Johnson, shifted resources away from Kean's race to other critical contests, foreshadowing the 7th District outcome.

— CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of foreshadow

Verb

The model predicted that this effect was concentrated in those cells rather than occurring broadly across other cell types.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
The report also found that the potential effect of data centers on Fort Worth electric bills is unknown and difficult to predict, and that there is little data surrounding noise levels in data centers aside from anecdotal evidence.

— Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of predict

Noun

These store openings follow two Simkhai pop-ups — at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and La Rinascente in Milan — that were precursors to Simkhai’s international push.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
Fresh precursors can be pumped in through the veins, and one day they might be partly gathered from the environment.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of precursor

Verb

The $250 Ring Drone Camera offers exactly what the product’s name implies — the technology to capture moving images from a lens affixed to a small quadcopter drone, according to the company.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026
The underlying implication in much of the criticism was that non-Equity shows are subpar and that hosting them implies a tacit acceptance of the mistreatment of actors.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of imply

Noun

Three broadcasters also received security threats, in a possible sign the menace was spreading beyond the skies.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
But with Great America’s latest corporate owner, Six Flags, struggling financially after its merger with Cedar Fair, there have been clear signs that the park probably was going to close sooner rather than later.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of sign

Verb

On the city’s West Side, the site of storied clubs such as Silvio’s as well as the Maxwell Street Market, blues musicians developed a style of electric blues in the 1950s that typically included a horn section (prefiguring soul music).

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Other Black families tried to hold on under the new regime but ultimately found Wilmington untenable and moved north, joining a local exodus that prefigured the Great Migration.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026

Definition of prefigure

Browse Nearby Words

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harbingered

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“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of harbinger

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verb

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