Harbingered: meaning, definitions and examples
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harbingered
[ ˈhɑːr.bɪn.dʒərd ]
sign of future
To harbinger something means to signal or announce the approach of that thing. It often refers to an event or situation that foreshadows what's to come. For instance, certain environmental changes may harbinger a coming storm. The act of harbingered speaks to the proactive nature of revealing important changes or events before they fully manifest. This verb is commonly used in literary contexts to enhance dramatic tension or to indicate a foreshadowing of significant occurrences.
Synonyms
foretell, herald, predict, signal
Examples of usage
- The flowers blooming early harbingered an early spring.
- The dark clouds harbingered the impending storm.
- Her arrival seemed to harbinger a shift in the group's dynamics.
Translations
Translations of the word "harbingered" in other languages:
🇵🇹 precursor
🇮🇳 पूर्वसूचक
🇩🇪 Vorzeichen
🇮🇩 tanda
🇺🇦 предвісник
🇵🇱 zapowiedź
🇯🇵 先駆者
🇫🇷 précurseur
🇪🇸 presagio
🇹🇷 müjdeci
🇰🇷 전조
🇸🇦 بشارة
🇨🇿 předzvěst
🇸🇰 predzvesť
🇨🇳 先驱
🇸🇮 predhodnik
🇮🇸 fyrirboði
🇰🇿 алдын ала
🇬🇪 წინასწარმეტყველი
🇦🇿 öncəki
🇲🇽 presagio
Etymology
The word 'harbinger' originates from the Middle English term 'herbenger', which itself came from the Old French 'herbergeor', meaning 'one who provides shelter'. The modern use of 'harbinger' evolved to refer metaphorically to something that provides an omen or signal of a future event. In the 14th century, the term began to denote a precursor or forerunner, reinforcing its role in literature and speech as a term that foreshadows future occurrences. The evolution of its meaning reflects humanity's longstanding fascination with predicting the future, whether through natural signs or profound events.