portend

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

VERB

foreshadow, indicate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

augur bespeak foretell predict presage

STRONG

adumbrate betoken bode call forebode forecast foreshow forewarn harbinger herald hint omen prognosticate promise prophesy read threaten

WEAK

be in the cards crystal-ball foretoken have a hunch point to premonish see coming warn of

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.

So what does this portend for the future of American politics?

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

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 • Mar. 20, 2026

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 • Mar. 4, 2026

Does this Super Bowl’s record-breaking A.I. ad splurge also portend a coming pop?

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

The Greeks had an old saying, too: “Red beard and blue eyes portend the Devil.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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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