omen

noun

ˈō-mən How to pronounce omen (audio)
Definition of omennext
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

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 omen And what might be a good omen has been unearthed during the building activity at Sojourner Place at Park. — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2026 Long before scientists understood solar wind or magnetism, people associated auroras with spirits, omens, warriors, or celestial beings. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026 The release of the beloved birds on Sunday was also seen as a good omen for the Noto region, which is still recovering from the deadly 2024 earthquake. — ABC News, 31 May 2026 While other rulers of the era relied on religious omens or superstition to guide their kingdoms, Aristotle taught the young prince that the universe could be understood through human reason and keen observation. — Steve Muscato, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for omen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for omen
  1. portent
  2. forerunner
  3. augury
  4. prediction
  5. foreshadowing
  6. precursor
  7. presage
  8. hint
Noun
  • Things are also tough for their friends, Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao), whose constant bickering seems to be an ominous portent for their on-again-off-again relationship.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The push for the category, which comes after Hot Ones earned Daytime Emmys noms in 2022 and 2023, carries symbolic portent, given the category’s housing of traditional late night; a nomination would truly signal a passing of the torch.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Definition of portent
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
Noun
  • But the most promising augury for season two is that Widow’s Bay is old-school monster-of-the-week episodic television.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of augury
Noun
  • The quest for fast, accurate wildfire predictions FireSat is the latest step in Cal Fire’s yearslong effort to improve wildfire detection and assessment.
    — Reeti Malhotra July 25, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
  • There is a difference, however, between the default belief that certain predictions are wrong and the default belief that certain predictions are embarrassing.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
Definition of prediction
Noun
  • What drags the installment down, however, is the sheer predictability and lack of dissent, with seven out of the nine votes being unanimous — a foreshadowing of seasons to come.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
  • The late-May timing of the FISU announcement could serve as consequential foreshadowing of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) annual congress.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Definition of foreshadowing
Noun
  • Further testing in mice—depleting NAD+ in some mouse placentas, supplementing models of others with NAD+ precursors—cemented the findings.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 20 July 2026
  • This all-night-long event will be the best precursor to OffKai Expo Gen 5.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of precursor
Noun
  • Sometimes, the departure of an underperforming executive or official presages improvements ahead.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • But a lack of accountability presages failure for California’s big reform.
    — Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of presage
Noun
  • Wolf offered hints of rotational usefulness last season, but his clock-killing, ball-stopping dribbles to nowhere stood out more in a summer-league environment where his team was actually trying to win.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • The first hint that Bobrovsky could be headed out of South Florida came on June 29 when Florida traded for Vegas Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid.
    — Ava DiCecca, Sun Sentinel, 24 July 2026
Definition of hint

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Cite this Entry

“Omen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omen. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on omen

Nglish: Translation of omen for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about omen

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