portend

verb

por·​tend pȯr-ˈtend How to pronounce portend (audio)
portended; portending; portends

transitive verb

1
: to give an omen or anticipatory sign of
2

Did you know?

It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to refer to the dense white fibrous tissue that helps us, well, stretch—but it’s likely true. Portend comes from the Latin verb portendere (“to predict or foretell”), which in turn developed as a combination of the prefix por- (“forward”) and the verb tendere (“to stretch”). Tendere is thought to have led to tendon, among other words. So you might imagine portend as having a literal meaning of “stretching forward to predict.” In any event, the history of the word surely showcases the flexibility of our language.

Examples of portend in a Sentence

The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
Recent Examples on the Web The festival beads and toe rings on the runways last season certainly portended the return of the mid-aughts aesthetic, even if the ready-to-wear then didn’t tell the same story. José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 That doesn’t portend well for your wallet this Valentine’s Day. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Netflix, meanwhile, is showing an appetite for live content that could portend further interest in procuring rights to sports programs, like Apple and Amazon have. Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024 The trial garnered widespread attention, given the severity of charges filed against the shooter’s parents, what the outcome portends for similar tragedies, and the nation’s ongoing battle with gun violence. Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2024 For one thing, Audacy just filed for bankruptcy, which portends some amount of restructuring. Vulture, 25 Jan. 2024 Looking back, the surprising darkness and dampening of Penn State’s win over Utah was a portending moment. J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023 But many now fear that the arrests portend a broader crackdown. Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Unfortunately, the red sky which added to the sunrise spectacle portends unsettled weather. Enquirer Staff, The Enquirer, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'portend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin portendere, from por- forward (akin to per through) + tendere to stretch — more at for, thin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of portend was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near portend

Cite this Entry

“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portend. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

portend

verb
por·​tend pȯr-ˈtend How to pronounce portend (audio)
pōr-
: to give a sign or warning of beforehand

More from Merriam-Webster on portend

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