verb

bode

bohd

verb

To be a sign that something (usually bad) will happen; to portend.

"The dark clouds bode ill for tomorrow's picnic."

"Her silence didn't bode well for the meeting."

How to Use Bode

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo be a warning sign of what's likely to happen next.

Common mistake

Almost always used in the fixed phrases "bode well" or "bode ill" — rarely used alone.

Common pairings

bode well bode ill does not bode well

Word Forms

boded past tense, boded past tense, bode plural, boded plural, bodes plural, bodes plural, bodes plural, bodes plural, bodes singular, bode singular, boded singular, bodest singular, bodedst singular, bodeth singular, bodes singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The dark clouds _____ ill for tomorrow's picnic.

Etymology

From Old English bodian, "to announce or foretell," related to the word bid.

Rhymes for bode

ode rode code mode node lode abode erode Rhode Goode decode Strode

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