portend

American  

[pawr-tend, pohr-] / pɔrˈtɛnd, poʊr- /

verb (used with object)

1. to indicate in advance; to foreshadow or presage, as an omen does.

   The street incident may portend a general uprising.

   Synonyms:

   forebode, betoken, augur, forecast, foretell

2. to signify; mean.

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portend British  

/ pɔːˈtɛnd /

verb

1. to give warning of; predict or foreshadow

2. obsolete to indicate or signify; mean

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Other Word Forms

• unportended adjective

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”; pro- ¹, tend ¹

Example Sentences

Advances in robotics present new possibilities for medicine, but also portend a system that could leave millions of its human workers unemployed.

From The Wall Street Journal

But investors might not be aware of the fact that extreme positioning in the options market can sometimes portend a reversal of fortune ahead.

From MarketWatch

But investors might not be aware of the fact that extreme positioning in the options market can sometimes portend a reversal of fortune ahead.

From MarketWatch

Shedding talent and salary gave Boston financial flexibility—but it also seemed to portend a season of knocking around the NBA’s ocean floor.

From The Wall Street Journal

A federal holiday often portends a long weekend for travel—or maybe just an extra day off to relax.

From Barron's

Related Words

• augur
• bespeak
• foretell
• predict
• presage