# portend

> English word · Verb · IPA /pɔːˈtɛnd/ · frequency rank #80,767

## Definitions
1. To serve as a warning or omen of.
2. To signify; to denote.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin portendere (“to foretell”), from por- (“forward”) + tendere (“to stretch”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/portend