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augur

1
[ aw-ger ]
/ ˈɔ gər /
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See synonyms for: augur / augured / auguring on Thesaurus.com
noun
one of a group of ancient Roman officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs.
soothsayer; prophet.
verb (used with object)
to divine or predict, as from omens; prognosticate.
to serve as an omen or promise of; foreshadow; betoken: Mounting sales augur a profitable year.
verb (used without object)
to conjecture from signs or omens; predict.
to be a sign; bode: The movement of troops augurs ill for the peace of the area.
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Origin of augur

1
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin augur (variant of auger ) “a diviner, soothsayer,” derivative of augēre “to increase, augment” with the original implication of “prosper”; see augment; cf. august

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH augur

auger, augur

Other definitions for augur (2 of 2)

augur2
[ aw-ger ]
/ ˈɔ gər /
Western U.S.
verb (used without object)
to argue, talk, or converse.
noun
an excessively talkative person.

Origin of augur

2
First recorded in 1920–25; variant of argue; noun perhaps by association with auger
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to augur

foreshadow, foretell, portend, presage, signify, diviner, forecaster, harbinger, herald, oracle, prognosticator, prophet, seer, soothsayer, adumbrate, bespeak, bode, forecast, prognosticate, promise

How to use augur in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for augur

augur
/ (ˈɔːɡə) /
noun
Also called: auspex (in ancient Rome) a religious official who observed and interpreted omens and signs to help guide the making of public decisions
any prophet or soothsayer
verb
to predict (some future event), as from signs or omens
(tr; may take a clause as object) to be an omen (of); presage
(intr) to foreshadow future events to be as specified; bodethis augurs well for us

Derived forms of augur

augural (ˈɔːɡjʊrəl), adjectiveaugurship, noun

Word Origin for augur

C14: from Latin: a diviner, perhaps from augēre to increase
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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