omen

noun

ˈō-mən How to pronounce omen (audio)
Synonyms of omen
: an occurrence or phenomenon (see phenomenon sense 1) believed to portend a future event : augury
The dark clouds were considered a bad omen.

Synonyms of omen

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ever stop to think that your sneeze could be an omen from the gods? — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026 Could this be an omen for tonight’s game and the rest of the series against the Dodgers? — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026 And according to Tony Lee, Garey’s high school breakout is no surprise given the many omens of his dominance as a youth player. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026 Now, traders are assessing what the moves mean for a swath of assets and wondering whether yields’ rapid climb is an omen that something could break in the market. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for omen

Word History

Etymology

Latin omin-, omen

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of omen was in 1582

Rhymes for omen

See All Rhymes for omen

Browse Nearby Words

omelet
omen
oment-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Omen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omen. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

omen

noun
ˈō-mən How to pronounce omen (audio)
: a happening believed to be a sign or warning of some future event

More from Merriam-Webster on omen

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about omen

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All