bode
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to be an omen of; portend.
The news bodes evil days for him.
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Archaic. to announce beforehand; predict.
verb (used without object)
verb
verb
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to be an omen of (good or ill, esp of ill); portend; presage
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archaic (tr) to predict; foretell
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bode
before 1000; Middle English boden, Old English bodian to announce, foretell (cognate with Old Norse botha ), derivative of boda messenger, cognate with German Bote, Old Norse bothi
Explanation
The verb bode suggests forecasting. Something bodes well when the clues or signs imply a favorable outcome. But if something bodes ill, you’d better watch out! Something might bode good fortune, or it could bode disaster. The word, which can be traced back to the Old English bodian, "to announce, foretell," is also found in the adjective foreboding, which means "ominous, boding ill."
Vocabulary lists containing bode
Romeo and Juliet
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Othello
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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.
Stalwarts of Chelsea's title-winning sides under Emma Hayes bode farewell to the club on Saturday, with Sam Kerr playing her final game for the club and Millie Bright being honoured after retiring earlier this month.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
That she presumes such ineptitude and desperation among her legions of users does not bode well.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
That doesn’t bode well for discretionary spending in the coming months if gas prices remain elevated.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
Bess Wohl’s play “Liberation” took home the 2026 Pulitzer for drama on Monday, in a win that could bode well for Tuesday’s Tony Award nominations.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Thyon’s response didn't bode well, in its broader context—about mesarthium not being reactive with anything.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions 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.
