: an occurrence or phenomenon (see phenomenon sense 1) believed to portend a future event : augury
The dark clouds were considered a bad omen.
Synonyms
Examples of omen in a Sentence
They regarded the win as a good omen for the team.
omens of things to come
Recent Examples on the Web
Poe’s great, terrifying symbol, an emblem of lost wandering, absent compassion, and frightful omens, evoked Noah and the Ark and real-life apocalypse.
—
Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
From the outset of its 1819 voyage, its crew faced difficulties—or, to a superstitious 19th-century sailor, bad omens.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Intriguing in themselves, these phenomena are dire omens.
—Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
These are bad omens for the future of Israel as a democratic state.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 14 July 2014
See all Example Sentences for omen 
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Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
From the outset of its 1819 voyage, its crew faced difficulties—or, to a superstitious 19th-century sailor, bad omens.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
Intriguing in themselves, these phenomena are dire omens.
—Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
These are bad omens for the future of Israel as a democratic state.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 14 July 2014
See all Example Sentences for omen
Dictionary Entries Near omen
Cite this Entry
“Omen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omen. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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omen
noun
: a happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event
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