verb
betoken
Betoken (verb) means to be a visible sign of something.
verb
1
To be a visible sign of something.
"The new propaganda for the route, modest though it is in content and extent so far, does seem to betoken a BR effort to improve its carryings and save the service from extinction."
— , News and Comment: The Broad Street-Richmond line (1964)
"“Now, for every power that you accrue, you shall receive a star badge like these. This final star betokens the rank of ultimate wizard.”"
— Bert Youn, Wizard (2010)
"Here, too, there is a marked change in the character of the country, for Tondu lies at the foot of the imposing mass of the central group of Glamorgan mountains, betokening the stiff gradients that lie ahead."
— D. S. Barrie, Railways of the Bridgend District (1955)
2
To show, through signs happening now, that something is going to happen.
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English bitoknen, bitacnen, from Old English betācnian ("to betoken, signify, designate"), from Proto-West Germanic *bitaiknijan, equivalent to be- + token. It is cognate with Dutch betekenen ("to mean, signify"), German bezeichnen ("to call, designate"), Swedish beteckna ("to represent, designate, indicate"), and Danish betegne ("to represent, designate, indicate").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for betoken
See all rhymes for betoken →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of betoken?
"betoken" (verb) means to be a visible sign of something.
What is another word for betoken?
Other words for "betoken" include point, foreshadow, bespeak, augur, indicate, omen.
What is the opposite of betoken?
The opposite of "betoken" is hide.
What are the different meanings of betoken?
"betoken" has 2 main meanings: 1. To be a visible sign of something; 2. To show, through signs happening now, that something is going to happen.
