1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 portent
Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.
—
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
-
Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Luckily, a miracle came to me in the form of a workhorse concealer.—
Melony Forcier,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Other sertanejo and agronejo artists content themselves with promoting agrobusiness interests through their lyrics, praising industrial farming and the miracle of pesticides.—
Carolina Abbott Galvão,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The decision proved more of an omen than an aberration.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In fact, some of you may have found a more spiritual connection to the universe, seeing omens, signs, and visions of what was, what is and what could be.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This phenomenon, known as the triboelectric effect, occurs when materials gain or lose electrons during friction.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Hotels featured in The White Lotus (and other films and TV series) are now soaring in popularity, as some travelers plan their vacations around dreamy on-screen destinations, a phenomenon known as set-jetting.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The vast majority of these deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl which experts report is typically synthesized in Mexico from precursor chemicals provided by Chinese operatives and brought into the United States via vehicles passing through official ports of entry.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The Golden Globes are a great precursor to what is to come there.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As the weather quickly cools, swapping your sheets can do wonders for your sleep.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The wonders of Arenal can be enjoyed year-round, but the weather is significantly more pleasant in the dry season, which typically runs from December to April.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With Division 1 being wide open this season, this early-season matchup is a possible foreshadowing of a postseason matchup.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
23 Dec. 2025
-
Vance Joseph provided a bit of foreshadowing earlier this month.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The movement is also an aesthetic marvel, clearly visible through the sapphire bridge.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
13 Jan. 2026
-
There's also the Recycling World epicenter, where revelers can see the waste-sorting process in action and marvel at public art made from recyclables.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
