portend
UK: pɔːˈtend | US: pɔːrˈtend
vt. to serve as a warning or sign of a future event, especially something significant or ominous
vt. to foreshadow or predict (often with a sense of foreboding)
portend = por<forward> + tend<stretch>
- por<forward>: From Latin por- (variant of pro-), meaning "forward" or "forth."
- tend<stretch>: From Latin tendere, meaning "to stretch, extend, or aim."
Etymology Origin:
The word portend originates from Latin portendere ("to stretch forward, indicate, predict"), combining por- (forward) and tendere (to stretch). The idea is of "stretching forward" one's perception to foresee or warn of future events, often with a connotation of omens or signs. Over time, it evolved in English to specifically imply forewarning, especially of something ominous.
The dark clouds portend a severe storm approaching.
Ancient cultures believed that eclipses portended major upheavals.
His sudden silence portended bad news.
The owl’s cry was thought to portend death in medieval folklore.
Economic indicators may portend a recession.