WordGarden.ioportent
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɔːtənt/
US
- /ˈpɔrtɛnt/
Meanings
Noun
a sign that something important or bad is likely to happen
Beyond the definition
A portent isn't just any sign. It's a sign that seems to point to something important that is about to happen, often something serious or troubling. Think of a flock of crows gathering before a storm; many cultures would see that as a portent of bad weather or even worse luck. A portent is not always a clear prediction. It can be an event, image, or feeling that makes you sense something big is coming. Shakespeare loved using portents in his plays to build suspense: a strange dream, an unnatural event, a ghostly apparition. All of these could suggest coming doom.
Imagine a quiet village nestled beside a dark forest. Suddenly, the animals fall silent, and a chilling wind sweeps through the trees. This isn't just a change in weather; it feels different. It feels like a warning. That feeling – that sense of impending significance – is often linked to a portent.
A portent is something that serves as a sign or omen, suggesting that a particular event will happen in the future. Historically, portents were often interpreted through astrology, dreams, or unusual natural occurrences. Ancient Romans believed comets were portents of disaster, while medieval Europeans looked for signs in the behavior of animals or the appearance of strange births.
Today, we might use "portent" more figuratively. A sudden drop in the stock market could be a portent of an economic recession. An unusually warm winter might be a portent of climate change. It doesn't necessarily cause the event, but it feels like a foreshadowing – a hint that something important is on its way.
The key to understanding "portent" lies in feeling and interpretation. It's not just about seeing something unusual; it's about sensing that the thing means something important. It carries a feeling of anticipation, often mixed with anxiety or dread. So the next time something strange makes the air feel heavy with meaning, you might wonder whether it is a portent.
Examples
- 1
Uneasy feeling
The sudden silence in the house felt like a bad portent.
- 2
Sales warning
Many analysts saw the weak sales figures as a portent of trouble ahead.
- 3
Sailors' omen
The red sky was taken as an ominous portent by the sailors.
- Phraseominous portent
a sign that makes people expect something bad
- 4
Political start
For the new government, the peaceful first week was a hopeful portent.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Fiction
The novel is full of strange portents: birds falling from the sky, clocks stopping, and fires going out.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- augury
- premonition
- foreboding
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- a portent of doom
- dark portent
- portent of things to come
- read as a portent
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- portentnoun
Forms
- portentspluralnoun