omen
Americannoun
-
omens
plural
-
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.
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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
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a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster
-
prophetic significance
verb
Synonym Usage
See sign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing omen
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The Alchemist
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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.
See Examples For:
This recent divergence certainly appears to be a very positive omen, as you can see from the accompanying chart.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The Rams’ first play proved an omen: 49ers linebacker Fred Warner nearly intercepted Stafford’s pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Through years of extraordinary political upheaval, the sound engineer at No. 10 Downing Street has served as a chiseled omen of great change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
For Nikki Smith from Keith, a lost suitcase has been an unlucky start to the trip, but is not a bad omen for Saturday.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
The door to Mrs. Caruthers’s room swung open as Ophie approached, the seemingly frail old woman standing on the other side like an ill omen.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Successive dynasties employed specialists to monitor celestial events because unusual phenomena in the sky were often interpreted as omens.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
There are bad omens for future tax policy, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
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
If you were a supporter who believed in omens and superstitions then the sight of the unbreakable centre-back getting broken was not good for your karma.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
The boy, ac-customed to recognizing omens, spoke to the merchant.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
