portend
verb /pɔːˈtend/
/pɔːrˈtend/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they portend | /pɔːˈtend/ /pɔːrˈtend/ |
| he / she / it portends | /pɔːˈtendz/ /pɔːrˈtendz/ |
| past simple portended | /pɔːˈtendɪd/ /pɔːrˈtendɪd/ |
| past participle portended | /pɔːˈtendɪd/ /pɔːrˈtendɪd/ |
| -ing form portending | /pɔːˈtendɪŋ/ /pɔːrˈtendɪŋ/ |
- portend something to be a sign or warning of something that is going to happen in the future, especially something bad or unpleasant synonym foreshadowWord Originlate Middle English: from Latin portendere, based on pro- ‘forth’ + tendere ‘stretch’.