harbinger

American  

[hahr-bin-jer] / ˈhɑr bɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald.

2. anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign.

   Frost is a harbinger of winter.

   Synonyms:

   indication, portent, precursor, forerunner, herald

3. a person sent in advance of troops, a royal train, etc., to provide or secure lodgings and other accommodations.

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verb (used with object)

1. to act as harbinger to; herald the coming of.

harbinger British  

/ ˈhɑːbɪndʒə /

noun

1. a person or thing that announces or indicates the approach of something; forerunner

2. obsolete a person sent in advance of a royal party or army to obtain lodgings for them

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verb

1. (tr) to announce the approach or arrival of

Usage

What does harbinger mean? Harbinger most commonly means an omen or a sign of something to come.Harbinger can also mean a person sent ahead to make people aware that someone else is coming (such as a king) or to make preparations (such as for an army), but these meanings are much less common. Harbinger can also be used as a verb meaning to act as a sign or omen.Example: These flowers are always the first to bloom, so people consider them harbingers of spring.

Etymology

Origin of harbinger

First recorded in 1125–75; late Middle English herbenger, nasalized variant of Middle English herbegere, dissimilated variant of Old French herberg(i)ere “host,” equivalent to herberg(ier) “to shelter” (from Germanic; harbor ) + -iere -er ²

Example Sentences

Those sky-high prices, traders say, are a harbinger of where the rest of the market could be heading if the Persian Gulf isn’t reopened soon.

From The Wall Street Journal

For now, though, the weakness in bank stocks looks more like a temporary dislocation for some of the big banks and not a harbinger of economic doom and gloom.

From Barron's

Like Chekhov’s revolver, he’s a harbinger of bad things happening to humans.

From The Wall Street Journal

But that could be a harbinger of what’s to come for U.S. markets if the conflict continues.

From Barron's

Here, the harbingers of the new golden age of the old-school American tavern.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• omen
• portent
• precursor