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
Advertisement Mamdani’s performance as mayor would be scrutinized for portents of the Democrats’ future.
—
Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
All seven of those have been losses, a bad portent for October when every team will have good pitching.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
All seven of those have been losses, a bad portent for October when every team will have good pitching.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
-
Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
An ingredient called miracle berry at the top makes bitter flavors taste sweet.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Small miracles of kindness and kinship are thin on the ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bad omens came early at this year’s Burning Man — the infamously wild, weeklong celebration of art, music, and unrestrained self-expression held at the end of every summer in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert — portending a particularly extra-ordinary burn.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Investors now worry that Milei’s defeat is a bad omen for the crucial legislative elections in October, a contest that could potentially derail his free-market economic reforms.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Editor’s picks Debbie was a true Eighties phenomenon.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Europa Press via Getty Images FC Barcelona phenomenon Lamine Yamal was absent from training on Saturday, as reported by a number of reliable outlets including RAC1.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
After a follow-up period of 7½ years, the team concluded that higher iron levels in two key parts of the brain were linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is typically a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Karl Maybach’s greatest contribution to the wonders of European civilization were his enormously powerful diesel engines that gave birth to the very first high-speed trains of Europe, emphatically putting steam trains out of business.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
What's essential is to finish with a leather jacket and a pair of leather or suede boots—a styling trick that always works wonders.—
Michel Mejía,
Glamour,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By an almost impossible conceptual leap, the distant myth of the poem becomes a foreshadowing and a prophecy of events that were, from Virgil’s own historical vantage point, already in the past.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Director Michael Chaves, in a much more successful and affecting fashion than his previous outputs for the franchise, builds a tightly knotted tension through effective foreshadowing and with several complex Rube Goldberg machines.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This positively insane domestic horror movie is one of Perry’s most slapdash productions, a true so-bad-it’s-brilliant marvel.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And, of course, a Southeast Asian spot (and interior design marvel) in the Windy City isn’t to be forgotten.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share