augur

¹

[ aw-ger ]

noun

1. in ancient Rome, any of a group of officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs.
2. Sometimes au·gur·er []. someone who foretells the future and interprets omens; soothsayer or prophet.

verb (used with object)

1. to serve as an omen or promise of; foreshadow; betoken:

   Mounting sales augur a profitable year.

2. to predict or foretell, as from signs or omens:

   He made careful calculations and augured happy and sure success for the new enterprise.

   The curator augurs from ticket sales that this exhibition will be the dawning of the artist’s career.

verb (used without object)

1. to be a sign of a certain kind of outcome; bode (well, ill, etc.):

   The movement of troops augurs ill for the peace of the area.

2. to make a prediction or guess based on signs or omens:

   Despite receiving him coolly, she had not refused his gift, and he augured favorably from that.

augur

²

[ aw-ger ]

verb (used without object)

1. to argue, talk, or converse.

noun

1. an excessively talkative person.

augur

/ ˈɔːɡə; ˈɔːɡjʊrəl /

noun

1. Also calledauspex (in ancient Rome) a religious official who observed and interpreted omens and signs to help guide the making of public decisions
2. any prophet or soothsayer

verb

1. to predict (some future event), as from signs or omens
2. tr; may take a clause as object to be an omen (of); presage
3. intr to foreshadow future events to be as specified; bode

   this augurs well for us

Derived Forms

• ˈaugurship, noun
• augural, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of augur¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin augur, variant of auger “diviner, soothsayer,” derivative of augēre “to increase,” with the original implication of “to prosper”; augment, august

Origin of augur²

First recorded in 1920–25; variant of argue; noun perhaps by association with auger

Word History and Origins

Origin of augur¹

C14: from Latin: a diviner, perhaps from augēre to increase

Example Sentences

And they augur badly for the overall effort, revealing the deep level of distrust the Turkish president harbors for the West.

From The Daily Beast

This is a trend that does not augur well for a Paul candidacy.

From The Daily Beast

The three elections were all about the same thing—hope for this new future the Obama coalition seemed to augur, or fear of it.

From The Daily Beast

Though fraudulent inducement does not ordinarily augur well, it worked.

From The Daily Beast

The pope's comment that he wouldn't 'judge' gay priests seemed to augur a new era of inclusiveness from the church.

From The Daily Beast

The return of these men, if indeed they were responsible for the condition of the man upstairs, might augur further evil for him.

From Project Gutenberg

Here is a short-handled augur, to make a hole for the saw to go through.

From Project Gutenberg

The mode in which the title was acquired did not augur well for the justice or the morality which was to reign there.

From Project Gutenberg

This, however, proves a certain delicacy of feeling, and such traits lead me to augur all that is good.

From Project Gutenberg

I augur no good for him, said Madame Germeuil, who breathed more freely since the face had withdrawn from the gate.

From Project Gutenberg