omen

noun
UK: /ˈəʊ.men/
US: /ˈoʊ.mən/

  1. A sign of what will happen in the future, usually something bad.

    1. The black cat was a bad omen.
    2. The sudden storm felt like an omen of impending disaster, filling everyone with dread.

Synonyms

sign forewarning portent signal indication augury prognostic foreshadowing
omen verb

  1. To be a sign of something that will happen in the future.

    1. Does this omen good luck?
    2. The strange events that occurred last night omen a significant change in our lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "omen" is /ˈəʊ.men/ in British English and /ˈoʊ.mən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "omen": sign, forewarning, portent, signal, indication, augury, prognostic, foreshadowing.

Example usage of "omen": "The black cat was a bad omen.". More examples on the page.