Did you know?
It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to refer to the dense white fibrous tissue that helps us, well, stretch—but it’s likely true. Portend comes from the Latin verb portendere (“to predict or foretell”), which in turn developed as a combination of the prefix por- (“forward”) and the verb tendere (“to stretch”). Tendere is thought to have led to tendon, among other words. So you might imagine portend as having a literal meaning of “stretching forward to predict.” In any event, the history of the word surely showcases the flexibility of our language.
Examples of portend in a Sentence
Douglas M. Charles, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
Experts fear the focus portends a backslide to the kind of political polarization of schools seen during the coronavirus pandemic.
—Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 6 Mar. 2025
Beyond the alarm in Europe at Mr. Trump’s U-turn on Russia, allies further afield will be worried about what the move portends for his broader foreign policy in the next four years.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
The jury is still out on what this portends for studio movies in China going forward, but a strong indication could come toward the end of the year, while there also have been some signs that authorities are relaxing censorship policies.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portend. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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portend
verb
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