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

Shares of Meta opened Monday lower, before the buyers stepped in — an harbinger of the rest of the week. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 11 July 2026 The world looked to the social elite as the ultimate harbingers of style trends and sophistication, giving them a cultural cache and, in turn, a sense of power. — Moises Mendez Ii, InStyle, 29 June 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

Trump should show up on July 26 and herald this grand new bridge, paid for by Canada.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
The heralds operate like independent contractors, with their own caseloads.

— Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Definition of herald

Verb

As all of this finale drama is happening around him, Danny gets increasingly drunker, foreshadowing absolutely nothing good coming our way.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
The piece foreshadows Saar’s penchant for transforming common items into near-mystical objects with seemingly simple flourishes that belie complex themes.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026

Definition of foreshadow

Noun

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
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Verb

So far, the models used to predict and plan for sea level rise, for instance, aren’t even taking it into account.

— Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
So reasoning traces, the very things that supposedly distinguish LRMs from the mere next-word-predicting LLMs, are not necessarily either meaningful or causal to a model’s … reasoning?

— John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2026

Definition of predict

Noun

And their precursor is the legendary berry cake from Phoenix Bakery in Chinatown.

— Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
This seems like a logical precursor to a fund of funds and/or exchange product that allows for more real-time trading, akin to ETFs on public markets.

— Alexander S. Blume, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of precursor

Verb

In summary, the Big Mysteries Survey suggests that physicists are more divided on many foundational questions than popular accounts often imply.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
On Monday, general manager Brian Cashman implied the Tigers and Orioles asked for Lombard in potential deals for Tarik Skubal and Adley Rutschman, who were acquired by the Dodgers and Red Sox, respectively.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of imply

Noun

In an independent third-party clinical study of 33 participants, 100 percent showed improvement across seven key signs of lip aging after just one use, while 96 percent demonstrated enhanced lip volume after four weeks.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes.

— Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 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

harassments

harbinger

harbingered

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“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of harbinger

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verb

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