noun

portent

POR-tent/ˈpɔːrtent/

A sign that something significant, often bad, may happen.

The descending funnel cloud is a portent of danger for the town.

An ominous funnel cloud begins descending from a storm above a small, still-undamaged town: a visible warning of a potentially momentous disaster, not its aftermath.

Etymology

The underlying image is “stretching forward,” which became pointing ahead or foretelling. A portent is thus a sign that seems to reach ahead to a coming event, generally a bad one.

More examples

She sees the early victory as a portent of future success.
The villagers regard the strange lights as an evil portent.
Rising prices and empty shelves are portents of a deeper crisis.

Forms

portent · portents

portentous adjective — Suggesting that something momentous may happen.

Similar words

omen: Often suggests a future event through supernatural or symbolic significance.
warning: Emphasizes approaching danger rather than a significant event generally.
sign: Broader term that need not suggest a future event.