1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 portent
Jellyfish scrape along the sea floor like spindly mushroom clouds of portent, stinging Sofia who masochistically (and in a way that carries over to her actual human relationships) keeps going back for another dip.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025
The natural threat of the caterpillars has shown up in cultural expressions as a symbolic portent of human mortality, Battisti points out.
—Ivan Amato, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
But coming in at a brisk 89-minute runtime, the feature is awkwardly compressed in its portrait of heartache and easily overwhelmed by the political portent of its subject.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
In Crimson Peak, however, these terrifying tragic figures are also a warning, an ominous portent of her doom, a frantic attempt to save her from it.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025
The natural threat of the caterpillars has shown up in cultural expressions as a symbolic portent of human mortality, Battisti points out.
—Ivan Amato, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2025
But coming in at a brisk 89-minute runtime, the feature is awkwardly compressed in its portrait of heartache and easily overwhelmed by the political portent of its subject.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
In Crimson Peak, however, these terrifying tragic figures are also a warning, an ominous portent of her doom, a frantic attempt to save her from it.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
-
Indeed, VistaVision was the forerunner of IMAX 65mm, with its horizontal orientation.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The company plans to recreate the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, by editing the genome of each species’ closest living relative to make a hybrid animal that would be visually indistinguishable from its extinct forerunner.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
For years, New York City, once one of the most dangerous cities in the country, performed something close to a miracle: crime fell dramatically.—
Stanley Richards,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Pope Francis accepted some compromises with China, but the Vatican wants autonomy in spiritual matters, which may require a miracle to accomplish under China’s one-party dictatorship.—
Eryk Michael Smith,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Trump's experience with special elections as omens Republicans now have 220 House seats, Democrats 213.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Trump has had experience with the omens special elections can carry.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Social media platforms, especially TikTok, have been pivotal in this phenomenon.—
Jené Luciani Sena,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Entanglement is a phenomenon where qubits become linked in such a way that the state of one qubit is dependent on the state of another, regardless of the distance between them.—
Lester Pereira,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
CSAs have often been precursors to broader agreements among countries.—
Ngaire Woods,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Many people at Saturday’s protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights of transgender people.—
Kwiyeon Ha and Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The sleek hue works wonders for a landscape that benefits from a high-contrast, modern design.—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Their large eyes, unique sound, and all-around mysterious quality adds plenty of wonder for young viewers.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The foreshadowing of their downfall is more interesting than anything else Porsha is bringing to the show in what was supposed to be her triumphant return.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Dreamgirls star provided some foreshadowing of the big day in a November 2006 interview with Cosmopolitan.—
Emy LaCroix,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
By all accounts, this was something of a technical marvel that a lucky few backpackers now carefully horde.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Today, The Golconda Blue stands not only as a natural marvel but also as a storied jewel, with a provenance bridging continents, dynasties, and centuries.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share