verb
portend
por-TEND/pɔːrˈtend/
To be a sign that something, especially something bad, will happen.
The approaching clouds portend heavy rain for the still-dry farmhouse.
Etymology
Literally 'stretch forward,' portend developed the sense of pointing something out in advance. Something that portends trouble thus indicates a future event rather than causing it.
In context
what do these sounds portend it is midnight
More examples
- The dark clouds portend a storm.
- Investors worry about what the factory closures portend.
- The early success portended a bright future for the team.
Forms
portend · portends · portended · portending
portent noun — A sign of something to come.
Similar words
- foreshadow
- Often suggests later events in a story through clues.
- presage
- Can signal good outcomes as readily as bad ones.