portent means something that portends an event about to occur, especially an unfortunate or evil event; an omen. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 76 out of 100.
portent is pronounced /ˈpɔɹtənt/.
Why “portent” is a great word
PORTENT — [Noun] A sign or warning, typically of an ominous or momentous event about to occur. From the Latin portentum ("sign, token, omen"), from portendere ("to predict, to foretell"). First recorded in English 1555–65. Unlike "omen," which implies a specifically supernatural decree, or "harbinger," which is often the messenger preceding the event, a portent is the heavy, tangible evidence itself. It is the profound silence of birds before a storm, the crack appearing in a foundational stone, or the starkly clinical phrase in a doctor's report that reorders a life in an instant; these are the syllables by which the future announces itself, written in a language we feel we should understand.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin portentum, participle of portendere, from portendō (“to predict, to foretell”).
noun
- Something that portends an event about to occur, especially an unfortunate or evil event; an omen.“It was a portent of things to come.”
- A portending; significance“a howl of dire portent”
- Something regarded as portentous; a marvel; prodigy.