harbinger
22
8.7
- noun
- /ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər/
:
precursor
- A settlement on Lockerbie would be the harbinger of a new season in Libya's national life.
- harbinger of new
- harbinger of change
- harbinger of death
And that little bit of a hint there was a harbinger of things to come.
- And that little bit of a hint there was a harbinger of things to come.
- And yet they can also serve as harbingers of doom for the very life that it brought.
- According to a number of studies, the kids stress hormone levels are abnormal and that is a harbinger of future disease.
- And is it a harbinger of things to come as Democrats face brutal new polls?
- It was really a Clarion call putting out a harbinger for the rest of America.
- She asks, was I meant to consult this tissue of meaningless harbingers?
- Negotiating often, in my experience, it's like the longer it takes, the more that is a harbinger of pain to come, right?
Examples
-
The heavy rain was a harbinger of the flooding that would follow.
-
15 enormous 747 jets stand high and silent, harbingers of a new era in aviation.
Academic text (2011) -
And he formed a very right wing government which was a harbinger of things to come.
-
And Butler here is one of the first, a harbinger of, you know, this whole wave of thinking.
-
And that little bit of a hint there was a harbinger of things to come.
-
Warming Island may be a harbinger of things to come.
Academic text (2012) -
Or we might look back on these reports as harbingers of far, far worse health outcomes yet to come.
Academic text (2013) -
Indeed, the chaos in Liberia and Somalia may be a harbinger of the future.
Academic text (1992) -
The current debates about ICANN are a harbinger of future dilemmas of Internet governance.
Academic text (2002) -
Egypt, the most populous and culturally influential Arab country, is both a harbinger and catalyst of regional political trends.
Academic text (2012)
Synonyms
110
6.1
A person or thing that announces the coming of something important
27
7.2
A person, thing, or event that comes before and signals what will follow
13
4.9
Something that comes before and points to what comes next
11
6.2
A person or thing that comes before something to prepare people
10
8.7
A sign that something important, often bad, will happen
How Predictive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Harbinger comes from an old word herberge meaning 'lodging' or 'shelter' and originally named the person who went ahead to find a place to stay for travellers or an army. Because that person arrived first and showed others what was coming, a harbinger now means something that announces or signals the approach of another thing.