omen

American  

[oh-muhn] / ˈoʊ mən /

noun

• omens
  plural

1. anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.

   Synonyms:

   foreboding, augury

2. a prognostic.

3. prophetic significance; presage.

   a bird of ill omen.

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verb (used with object)

1. to be an omen of; portend.

2. to divine, as if from omens.

omen British  

/ ˈəʊmən /

noun

1. a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster

2. prophetic significance

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verb

1. (tr) to portend

Synonym Usage

See sign.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unomened
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• omens
  plural

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.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

omen omens

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

That is a bad omen, though it’s encouraging that Kavanaugh and Barrett didn’t sign onto it.

From Slate ● May 23, 2026

"I'm not sure if it's a good omen or not," smiled Rai, who credited his wife Gaurika - also a professional golfer - for helping him win by reading his putts.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

Unlike some anonymous Polymarket traders, though, the omen named for the doomed German airship couldn’t have known bombs were about to fall on Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Both he and Cora decided his skittish personality had not helped them during the close call the previous night, when in another bad omen the regulators knocked on the front door.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

But the omens are good for Mikel Arteta's outfit.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2025

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

Does Bob, as he's more affectionately known, believe in omens?

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2024

“Learn to recognize omens, and follow them,” the old king had said.

From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

Related Words

• harbinger
• indication
• portent
• premonition