portend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
portends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
portended,
past participle, past
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portending
present participle
verb
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to give warning of; predict or foreshadow
-
obsolete to indicate or signify; mean
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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portendsimple
-
portendssimple
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have portendedperfect
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has portendedperfect
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am portendingprogressive
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are portendingprogressive
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is portendingprogressive
-
have been portendingperfect progressive
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has been portendingperfect progressive
Past
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portendedsimple
-
had portendedperfect
-
was portendingprogressive
-
were portendingprogressive
-
had been portendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of portend
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin portendere “to point out, indicate, portend,” variant of prōtendere “to extend”; see pro- 1, tend 1
Explanation
Portend means to show a sign that something calamitous is about to happen. The teetering, tottering, pile of fine china piled up after the dinner party portends an imminent crash of broken plates and dishes. Portend is a verb warning of omens, or bad signs. Dark clouds rumbling in over a county fair in Kansas portend the thunderstorm and even tornado that is likely to ruin the festivities. Portend is a helpful way for authors to foreshadow dark events ahead in their stories.
Vocabulary lists containing portend
Grade 11, List 2
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"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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Chains
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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:
"What it does portend, to me, is that Hong Kong will accelerate its economic intertwining with Beijing."
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The S&P 500 on Thursday finished right on the cusp of a critical support line that, if broken, could portend more losses for stocks in the coming days and weeks.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
Signs pointed to another U.S. military buildup in the region this week that could portend a fresh round of fighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
So what does this portend for the future of American politics?
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2026
He believes the rainbow is a sign from God and that comets portend evil.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
To the extent that this portends future drops in consumer spending, this sign is flashing red.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Renée Elise Goldsberry plays Nichole E. Ferebee, an opposing counsel with a romantic past with Michael, which naturally portends a romantic present, or future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
"The yields are troubling people because it portends a tighter environment and it's going to be more expensive to borrow money," said Kim Forrest, chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital Partners.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Meanwhile Philippa, knowing that “visionaries are ungovernable,” fears that Barton’s presence in her nunnery portends catastrophe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
If a kitten comes to a house in the morning, it is lucky; if in the evening, it portends evil of some kind, unless it stays to prevent it.
From Our Cats and All About Them Their Varieties, Habits, and Management; and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and Beauty; Described and Pictured by Harrison Weir
The public debut of SpaceX—officially Space Exploration Technologies — portended different things to different investors but was significant for all.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The staginess that sinks many of his other pictures portended a digital age where all images would trend toward idealized, Photoshopped perfection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
When either, or both, of these signals have triggered five times or more combined within the span of five trading sessions, it has often portended trouble ahead, the SentimenTrader report said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2025
Based on how my day started, I reasoned it likely portended a really bad day ahead.
From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2024
Or maybe it was the future the mark portended.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Service companies reduced employment for the fifth time in the past six months, perhaps portending a weak August employment report on Friday.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Before they knew it, the sky turned dark, portending a storm.
From BBC ● May 29, 2025
The Colts will be slight favorites Sunday, perhaps portending another close finish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023
Cougars are our canaries in the coal mine, portending consequences of lost connectivity for all Southwest Washington.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 1, 2023
True, the climate is equable and healthy, but that great drawback, the liability to earthquakes and tidal waves, still remains, like a dark, portending shadow.
From Equatorial America Descriptive of a Visit to St. Thomas, Martinique, Barbadoes, and the Principal Capitals of South America by Maturin Murray Ballou
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
