harbinger

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.

Harbinger has been used in English since at least the 1100s. It comes from Middle English, from a variant of the Old French herberg(i)ere, which meant “host” and was equivalent to the verb herberg(ier), “to shelter.”

Harbinger was originally used in English to refer to a host or someone who provides lodgings. It came to be used to refer to the person who went in advance of an army to secure lodgings for the soldiers. Eventually, it became synonymous with herald—someone who goes ahead to announce that someone important is coming, like a king or queen. Another word for such a person is forerunner, which can now also be used to mean “omen” or “sign of something to come.” This is the most common meaning of harbinger. A harbinger can be a sign of something positive, as in Robins are a harbinger of springtime, or negative, as in These reports are a harbinger of doom. When applied to a person, harbinger often refers to someone who’s announcing something, especially something that has yet to happen. More rarely, it can be used as a verb, as in His text harbingered their arrival.   

It can be tempting to misspell harbinger as harbringer, since a harbinger usually brings something, such as a warning, but you can remember the correct spelling by keeping the pronunciation in mind: it’s HAR-bin-jer, with the G making a J sound.

What are some synonyms for harbinger?

• omen
• portent
• precursor 
• indication
• forerunner
• herald

What are some words that share a root or word element with harbinger? 

• harbor

What are some words that often get used in discussing harbinger?

• sign
• doom
• future
• warning
• spring

Harbinger can be used in many different contexts, but it typically refers to a sign that something is going to happen in the future.

I don’t like sounding like the Harbinger of Doom, but I see it as inevitable that @WonderCon is either postponed or cancelled. I’m seeing way too many events taking this action, and the news I received while at my local VA clinic yesterday wasn’t encouraging.

— Ken Penders (@KenPenders) March 11, 2020

Who’s ready for spring? Many robins remain in northern Illinois year-round, but they are still a harbinger of the most anticipated season of the year. (Photo courtesy of Matt Zuro) pic.twitter.com/OqRBHH6YaW

— WillCoForestPreserve (@WillCoForests) March 4, 2020

Hellebore from the garden…always see it as spring harbinger. Did some research & turns out it has strong links to witchcraft: “used in magic for healing of mental/emotional afflictions; banishing; exorcisms; increasing intelligence; protection & invisibility spells.” #IWD2020 pic.twitter.com/WWXscuPQdi

— Louise Macdonald (@Louisemac) March 8, 2020

Is harbinger used correctly in the following sentence?

In retrospect, the cancellation of our first contract was a harbinger of failure.