portend

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: por=tend

CIDE DICTIONARY

portend, v. t. [L. portendre, portentum, to foretell, to predict, to impend, from an old preposition used in comp. + tendere to stretch. See Position, Tend.].

•  To indicate (events, misfortunes, etc.) as in future; to foreshow; to foretoken; to bode; -- now used esp. of unpropitious signs.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Many signs portended a dark and stormy day."  [1913 Webster]
•  To stretch out before.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To foreshow; foretoken; betoken; forebode; augur; presage; foreshadow; threaten.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

portend, v.tr.
1 foreshadow as an omen.
2 give warning of.

Etymology

ME f. L portendere portent- f. por- PRO-(1) + tendere stretch

THESAURUS

portend

adumbrate, apprehend, augur, betoken, bode, call, croak, forebode, forecast, foreshadow, foreshow, foretoken, forewarn, give advance notice, have a premonition, have a presentiment, look black, lower, menace, omen, preapprehend, precaution, predict, premonish, prenotify, presage, prewarn, prognosticate, promise, prophesy, tell in advance, threaten, vaticinate, warn

ROGET THESAURUS

portend

Prediction

VB predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate, tell fortunes, cast a horoscope, cast a nativity, advise, forewarn, presage, augur, bode, abode, forebode, foretoken, betoken, prefigure, preshow, portend, foreshow, foreshadow, shadow forth, typify, pretypify, ominate, signify, point to, usher in, herald, premise, announce, lower, hold out expectation, raise expectation, excite expectation, excite hope, bid fair, promise, lead one to expect, be the precursor, extrapolate, project.