augur well for

Idioms  

1. Also, augur ill for;. Have good (or bad) expectations for someone or something. For example, John's recovery from surgery augurs well for the team and The Republican victory in the Congressional elections bodes ill for affirmative action. The verb augur is derived from the Latin word for “soothsayer” (predictor of the future), a meaning perpetuated in this phrase and so used since the late 1700s. The verb bode comes from the Old English bodian, meaning “to announce or foretell,” and is rarely heard today except in this idiom, which dates from about 1700.

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Example Sentences

That doesn’t augur well for a union-backed initiative seeking to qualify for the November ballot that would impose a wealth tax on billionaires.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

That doesn’t augur well for a man who has spent a lifetime failing to own up to misconduct.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2024

The SNP's deputy leader, Keith Brown, told the Good Morning Scotland programme the lack of a challenger "does augur well for John Swinney's ability to engage with all parts of the party".

From BBC • May 6, 2024

This was anomalous, and in ways that seemed to augur well for others of her sex.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2022

Between the weather and the Montenegrins’ defeat, it didn’t augur well for our own summit assault, scheduled to get under way in less than six hours.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer