omen
Americannoun
-
anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.
- Synonyms:
- foreboding, augury
-
a prognostic.
-
prophetic significance; presage.
a bird of ill omen.
verb (used with object)
-
to be an omen of; portend.
-
to divine, as if from omens.
noun
-
a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster
-
prophetic significance
verb
Related Words
See sign.
Other Word Forms
- unomened adjective
Etymology
Origin of omen
First recorded in 1575–85, omen is from the Latin word ōmen
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.
It isn’t the kind of housing market omen investors in the sector were hoping at the start of the typically busy homebuying season.
From Barron's
The visit, the conservative leader's first to China since taking office last May, will be just after Lunar New Year festivities, his spokesman Sebastian Hille pointed out Friday, calling this "a good omen".
From Barron's
Some of the builder’s trends are a good omen for the housing market’s typically busy spring season—but its well-heeled clientele means it’s more insulated from housing cost headwinds than the broader market.
From Barron's
This is just the opposite of what Wall Street’s bulls are contending in claiming that the transports’ relative strength is a bullish omen.
From MarketWatch
You wouldn't have predicted a Scotland defeat that early, but you get to understand the triggers in this team and the omens weren't encouraging.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
