bode
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to be an omen of; portend.
The news bodes evil days for him.
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Archaic. to announce beforehand; predict.
verb (used without object)
verb
verb
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to be an omen of (good or ill, esp of ill); portend; presage
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archaic (tr) to predict; foretell
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bode
before 1000; Middle English boden, Old English bodian to announce, foretell (cognate with Old Norse botha ), derivative of boda messenger, cognate with German Bote, Old Norse bothi
Explanation
The verb bode suggests forecasting. Something bodes well when the clues or signs imply a favorable outcome. But if something bodes ill, you’d better watch out! Something might bode good fortune, or it could bode disaster. The word, which can be traced back to the Old English bodian, "to announce, foretell," is also found in the adjective foreboding, which means "ominous, boding ill."
Vocabulary lists containing bode
Romeo and Juliet
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Othello
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You look around, the largest asset managers in the world, the largest banks in the world, everyone is here,” said Ian De Bode, president of Ondo Finance, a tokenization firm.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
In her update, Bode commended Southern Airways for its handling of the situation since the initial incident.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
He demolished Marcel Bode in just 23 seconds on his debut in January 2023 at Wembley Arena.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Sunday's spectacle drew crowds of hundreds, with onlooker Richard Bode, 34, calling the event a "once-in-a-lifetime experience."
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
Some time ago Dr. Wilhelm Bode, the eminent German scholar and authority on antique Oriental rugs, decided that these unusual rugs were of Persian origin, because of their general style and design.
From Rugs: Oriental and Occidental, Antique & Modern A Handbook for Ready Reference by Holt, Rosa Belle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
