omen — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury.

   Examples

   The ghost's appearance was an ill omen.

   A rise in imports might be an omen of economic recovery.

   More examples (3)

   The egg has, during the span of history, represented mystery, magic, medicine, food and omen.

   Day broke. He saw three black hens asleep in a tree. He shuddered, horrified at this omen. Then he promised the Holy Virgin three chasubles for the church, and that he would go barefooted from the cemetery at Bertaux to the chapel of Vassonville.

   Necessarily she took it for an omen.

2. A thing of prophetic significance.

   Examples

   A sign of ill omen.

Verb

1. To be an omen of.

   Usage

   • Transitive

2. To divine or predict from omens.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

Noun

1. a sign of something about to happen

   Synonyms

   portentpresageprognosticprognosticationprodigy

   Broader terms

   augurysignforetokenpreindication

   Examples

   he looked for an omen before going into battle

Verb

1. indicate, as with a sign or an omen

   Synonyms

   bodeportendauspicateprognosticatepresagebetokenforeshadowaugurforetellprefigureforecastpredict

   Broader terms

   bespeakbetokenindicatepointsignal

   Examples

   These signs bode bad news