portends

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.

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

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

But its wholesale gutting portends an even more uncertain future for talented filmmakers already struggling in the A.I. age.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

But if they fail, it portends an epic flop.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

In “Weapons,” its eerie harmonic movement portends an innocence soon to be lost.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Yet she had that intuitive feeling of disaster that portends great and overwhelming events.

From Ruth Fielding In the Red Cross Doing Her Best For Uncle Sam by Emerson, Alice B.