omen
Americannoun
-
anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.
- Synonyms:
- foreboding , augury
-
a prognostic.
-
prophetic significance; presage.
a bird of ill omen.
verb (used with object)
-
to be an omen of; portend.
-
to divine, as if from omens.
noun
-
a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster
-
prophetic significance
verb
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
See sign.
Other Word Forms
- unomened adjective
Etymology
Origin of omen
First recorded in 1575–85, omen is from the Latin word ōmen
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.
Those looking for a good omen will note, however, that the famous result helped Northern Ireland qualify for that summer's World Cup in Sweden.
From BBC
It was all a vicious distortion, though an omen of the vitriol that now dominates our politics.
But if you believe in omens, this might not be a good one for the Gunners...
From BBC
Whether that’s a bad omen for AI or an understandable response to Oracle’s debt load likely depends on your prior convictions about AI.
From Barron's
Was the Chargers’ loss to the previously winless New York Giants a mere blip or an omen of what life’s going to be like with a patchwork offensive line?
From Los Angeles Times
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.
