portent
[ pawr-tent, pohr- ]
/ ˈpɔr tɛnt, ˈpoʊr- /
noun
an indication or omen of something about to happen, especially something momentous.
threatening or disquieting significance: an occurrence of dire portent.
a prodigy or marvel.
RELATED CONTENT
The Problem With AwesomeMany words have been wasted on the subject of when adulthood starts. Some hold that it comes about with the right to drink alcoholic beverages or vote in an election. For particularly stringent grammarians of a certain generation, the rite of passage that marks the official start of adulthood is the point at which one becomes annoyed at hearing someone say that something is awesome, …
RELATED WORDS
premonition, harbinger, omen, hunch, prognostic, foreboding, augury, sign, warning, prognostication, threat, caution, clue, presage, presentiment, foretoken, foreshadowing, vibes, phenomenon
Nearby words
- portative organ,
- portcullis,
- porte,
- porte-cochere,
- portend,
- portentous,
- porter,
- porter chair,
- porter's sign,
- porter, cole
Origin of portent
1555–65; < Latin portentum sign, token, noun use of neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere to portend
SYNONYMS FOR portent
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for portent
portent
/ (ˈpɔːtɛnt) /
noun
a sign or indication of a future event, esp a momentous or calamitous one; omen
momentous or ominous significancea cry of dire portent
a miraculous occurrence; marvel
Word Origin for portent
C16: from Latin portentum sign, omen, from portendere to portend
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
portent
1560s, from Middle French portente, from Latin portentum "a sign, token, omen; monster, monstrosity," noun use of neuter of portentus, past participle of portendre (see portend).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper