portend
12 synonyms for portend, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To be a warning sign that something bad is going to happen.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin portendere (“to foretell”), formed from por- (“forward”) plus tendere (“to stretch”).
Full origin of portend →