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portend

[ pawr-tend, pohr- ]
/ pɔrˈtɛnd, poʊr- /
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See synonyms for: portend / portended / portending / portends on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
to indicate in advance; to foreshadow or presage, as an omen does: The street incident may portend a general uprising.
to signify; mean.
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Origin of portend

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin portendere “to point out, indicate, portend,” variant of prƍtendere “to extend”; see pro-1, tend1

OTHER WORDS FROM portend

un·por·tend·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH portend

portend , pretend
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use portend in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for portend

portend
/ (pɔːˈtɛnd) /

verb (tr)
to give warning of; predict or foreshadow
obsolete to indicate or signify; mean

Word Origin for portend

C15: from Latin portendere to indicate, foretell; related to prƍtendere to stretch out
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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