omen
Americannoun
-
omens
plural
-
anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.
- Synonyms:
- foreboding, augury
-
a prognostic.
-
prophetic significance; presage.
a bird of ill omen.
verb (used with object)
-
to be an omen of; portend.
-
to divine, as if from omens.
noun
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a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster
-
prophetic significance
verb
Synonym Usage
See sign.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of omen
First recorded in 1575–85, omen is from the Latin word ōmen
Explanation
An omen is an event or happening that you take as sign of something to come. It’s believed to be a bad omen if a black cat crosses your path or if it rains on your wedding day. Omens generally get a bad rap — that's probably because a lot of them predict bad stuff, at least according to superstition. But the interpretation of omens really depends on the country and culture. What's considered an ominous sign in one place might mean a lifetime of good luck somewhere else. Oscar Wilde once wrote that, “There is no such thing as an omen. Destiny does not send us heralds. She is too wise or too cruel for that.”
Vocabulary lists containing omen
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The Alchemist
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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.
See Examples For:
Sven Marquardt, a Berlin photographer and Berghain’s most famous bouncer, was sitting in front of me, which I took as an incredibly good omen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Analysts said the reception to SpaceX was a good omen for two major artificial-intelligence IPOs expected later this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Against the bullish backdrop, the IPO could turn out to be fortuitous, or an omen.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
That is a bad omen, though it’s encouraging that Kavanaugh and Barrett didn’t sign onto it.
From Slate ● May 23, 2026
It also seemed like a good omen to Green that the condiment was made in Durham, England.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
There are bad omens for future tax policy, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
But this was a random thing, right, not, like, the latest in a concentrated sequence of omens that are becoming impossible to ignore?
From Slate ● Nov. 22, 2024
The people of r/Superstonk are dogmatic, unforgiving of alternative views, indulgent of auguries and omens, simultaneously convinced of their righteousness yet constantly fretting about their opponents’ vast and mysterious powers to undermine them.
From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2024
The omens for the coming days are not good.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024
It’s all right not to believe in luck and omens.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
