PORTENDED Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

portended

verb

past tense of portend

as in predicted

formal + literary to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.

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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 portended At this point, things take a supernatural leap that has already been portended by various visions and nightmares. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 That sequence aside, Pulisic's presence energized the American attack and portended well for its next match, according to his teammates. — ABC News, 26 June 2026 Watching MacKinnon take a puck to the right knee late in the second stanza portended the wrong kind of juju. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 May 2026 Scott Waguespack, 32nd, argued the Monday hearing portended another difficult budget season for Johnson in the fall. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town. — Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026 That loss portended woe for Winnipeg, beginning its freefall. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026 And Smith was certain that these two short plays portended a great future for the twenty-year-old in the dramatic arts. — Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025 Martin County’s anti-development history portended a quick and certain rejection by the county commission. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portended

Verb

Wade predicted the McDonald’s expansion will spill into Florida.

— David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Before last season, when Pete was at Kentucky, a reporter told him that at least one media member had predicted the Wildcats to finish second-to-last in the 16-team SEC.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of predicted

Verb

Chairman Warsh spoke of the need to continue the battle against high inflation and promised the Fed will deliver its 2% inflation target.

— George Calhoun, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Repay promised a full investigation, beginning with the 911 executive board and then the full commission and a public report when the investigation is completed.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of promised

Verb

But Graham does fit an archetype of front-office construction that has boded well for other organizations, particularly in his willingness to invest in a more modern approach to roster building.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
That boded well for a 2008 conversation at Seiller's home.

— Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026

Definition of boded

Verb

Autumn Joy Stonecrop Also called autumn joy sedum, this hardy, summer- and fall-flowering perennial is known for its succulent foliage and dense clusters of tiny pink flowers.

— Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
The Cyberdyne Hybrid Assistive Limb, commonly called HAL, is a robotic exoskeleton designed to support patients during rehabilitation.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of called

Verb

Their ’90s output handily presaged the logic of media like the shows that aired on Adult Swim, adapting the bounciness and surrealism of childhood stories to biting adult sensibilities.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026
Years of turmoil presaged the takeover.

— Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026

Definition of presaged

Verb

The prophecy of the film’s success was foretold when 70mm screening tickets for The Odyssey sold out quickly upon release one year before the movie was set to debut, according to The Los Angeles Times.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026
The decision also foretold a cultural and political shift, which then executive editor Lacey Donohue — now a senior vp at Hulu — recognized immediately.

— Frank DiGiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026

Definition of foretold

Verb

Hence, Raymond James heralded a 400% explosion by 2031, and Stifel at the bottom of the range augured a 19% rise.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 July 2026
This is a massive shift from late last year, when talk of an AI bubble augured capital expenditures that would come back to bite tech companies when token demand plummeted.

— Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of augured

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“Portended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portended. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of portended

verb

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