as in portent
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
some people still believe that a black cat crossing your path is a bad omen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of omen
For many cultures throughout history, blood moons have served as an omen, often an ominous one.
—
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
But many Floridians — particularly those who have moved here since 1998 and have no prior experience with wildfires on a massive scale — don’t see these signs and don’t comprehend the omens.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
An omen of good things to come.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Such reactions from a judge are not generally considered a favorable omen for a litigant.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for omen
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
But many Floridians — particularly those who have moved here since 1998 and have no prior experience with wildfires on a massive scale — don’t see these signs and don’t comprehend the omens.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
An omen of good things to come.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Such reactions from a judge are not generally considered a favorable omen for a litigant.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for omen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for omen
Noun
-
Somewhere in there was portent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
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This was only a portent of things to come — the protests were dwarfed by massive protests and riots against the regime in September 2022-2023, then the largest protests in December 2025 to January 2026.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The rule of thumb is that if a party sees a mass exodus of its members in Congress, that’s a bad augury.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
5 Sep. 2025
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Dream books offered augury, poetry, and purpose—a kind of secular scripture for the numbers game.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The crypto traders first moved on to gold, and then left the precious metal and went to prediction markets.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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The vacation prediction yielded similar results.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The opening week of an MLB season doesn’t typically provide foreshadowing for a 162-game season.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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That was probably apt enough foreshadowing for what was to come.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Tantric yoga is obviously meant to be the precursor to intimate relations.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The air smells damp and jungly (in the best possible way) and is sweetened with a hint of frangipani.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Researchers are now exploring Greenland shark genetics for clues about aging, finding hints of enhanced DNA repair and cellular maintenance that could slow aging at a fundamental level.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Omen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omen. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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