Thesaurus results for HARBINGER

Q: How is the word 'harbinger' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of harbinger are forerunner , herald , and precursor . While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event. // their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season // the herald of a new age in medicine

Q: When would 'forerunner' be a good substitute for 'harbinger'?

While the synonyms forerunner and harbinger are close in meaning, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage. // the blockade was the forerunner of war

Q: When could 'precursor' be used to replace 'harbinger'?

The meanings of precursor and harbinger largely overlap; however, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another. // 18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

harbinger 1 of 2

noun

ˈhär-bən-jər

Definition of harbinger next

as in herald

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come

Synonyms & Similar Words

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harbinger

2 of 2

verb

as in to herald

to give a slight indication of beforehand the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word harbinger distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of harbinger are forerunner, herald, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season

the herald of a new age in medicine

When would forerunner be a good substitute for harbinger?

While the synonyms forerunner and harbinger are close in meaning, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When could precursor be used to replace harbinger?

The meanings of precursor and harbinger largely overlap; however, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harbinger

Noun

The development could be a harbinger of what’s to come as the USTR gears up to hold public hearings in early July regarding its recent Section 301 forced labor investigations into more than 60 countries. —

Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 June 2026 Yield curve inversion—when investors become more afraid of the near-future than the long-term—is a traditional harbinger of recession. —

Jim Edwards, Fortune, 7 June 2026

Verb

This could harbinger a new age of electro-tech in Asia. —

Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for harbinger

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger

Noun

The heralds operate like independent contractors, with their own caseloads.

— Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
The series serves as an origin story for how Norrin Radd (voiced by Paul Essiembre) becomes the herald of Galactus (James Blendick), then breaks free from the clutches of the Devourer of Worlds to surf around the galaxy and help others.

— Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 June 2026

Definition of herald

Verb

Roberts’s quip foreshadowed his opinion on behalf of the Court holding that near-universal birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the text of the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause.

— Amanda Frost, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
As Sam Khan wrote yesterday, the SWC also foreshadowed the future of college football.

— Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of foreshadow

Noun

The city had a history of assimilating such yearners, most notably Madonna, Swift’s forerunner and her own Middle American transplant success story.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 June 2026

Definition of forerunner

Verb

Susan Del Percio, a New York GOP strategist, predicted the dueling programs would excite the different constituencies of the two leaders.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
But predicting how things will change decades from now is a more daunting task than embracing a gauzy promise.

— Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, 3 July 2026

Definition of predict

Noun

Those resolutions are considered a precursor to the Declaration of Independence.

— Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
Feeding peanuts to the fans evolved, but the early days, whether for the precursor to Aramark or the work of Stevens, were all about a few simple items.

— Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of precursor

Verb

Barclays in June raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 7,800 – implying a gain of 4% across the next six months.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Many modern brides now wear different outfits for the ceremony and reception, and reporting from Page Six implies that Swift will follow suit.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 June 2026

Definition of imply

Verb

Other Black families tried to hold on under the new regime but ultimately found Wilmington untenable and moved north, joining a local exodus that prefigured the Great Migration.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Over the course of one phantasmagoric evening, Robin witnesses events that prefigure the Revolutionary War.

— John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 15 June 2026