omen

American  

[oh-muhn] / ˈoʊ mən /

noun

• omens
  plural

1. anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.

   Synonyms:

   foreboding, augury

2. a prognostic.

3. prophetic significance; presage.

   a bird of ill omen.

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verb (used with object)

1. to be an omen of; portend.

2. to divine, as if from omens.

omen British  

/ ˈəʊmən /

noun

1. a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster

2. prophetic significance

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verb

1. (tr) to portend

Synonym Usage

See sign.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unomened
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• omens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of omen

First recorded in 1575–85, omen is from the Latin word ōmen

Explanation

An omen is an event or happening that you take as sign of something to come. It’s believed to be a bad omen if a black cat crosses your path or if it rains on your wedding day. Omens generally get a bad rap — that's probably because a lot of them predict bad stuff, at least according to superstition. But the interpretation of omens really depends on the country and culture. What's considered an ominous sign in one place might mean a lifetime of good luck somewhere else. Oscar Wilde once wrote that, “There is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

omen omens

The appearance in the sky of Halley's Comet, which is only visible from Earth roughly every 75 years, is regarded as a bad omen following Harold's alleged betrayal.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Sven Marquardt, a Berlin photographer and Berghain’s most famous bouncer, was sitting in front of me, which I took as an incredibly good omen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Analysts said the reception to SpaceX was a good omen for two major artificial-intelligence IPOs expected later this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

That is a bad omen, though it’s encouraging that Kavanaugh and Barrett didn’t sign onto it.

From Slate ● May 23, 2026

Percy didn’t care much about history, but he wondered whether landing here was a bad omen.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

An omen among omens: Mid-dog-walk that day, I spot a onesie that reads “Milk Drunk” and shudder at the impulse to recruit our newborns into low-key bacchanalia.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

Denver will hope some omens are on their side.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026

Even City manager Pep Guardiola sensed the bad omens, saying: "When I saw the fire before the game I thought 'the journalists have their headlines already'."

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025

The people of r/Superstonk are dogmatic, unforgiving of alternative views, indulgent of auguries and omens, simultaneously convinced of their righteousness yet constantly fretting about their opponents’ vast and mysterious powers to undermine them.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2024

The similarities in their lives became good omens: that they were both only children, their birthdays two days apart, and their hometowns in Anambra State.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• harbinger
• indication
• portent
• premonition