harbinger
/ˈhɑːbɪndʒə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhär-bən-jər/ (ame, mw)
harbinger — noun
- harbingersingular
- harbingersplural
1. a person, event, or thing whose arrival makes clear that another event — usually
a person, event, or thing whose arrival makes clear that another event — usually unwelcome — is now on its way.
Folake saw the dark clouds over the harbour as a harbinger of the coming storm.
harbinger of + concrete event
Falling factory orders are often a harbinger of wider economic trouble.
subject = trend/indicator; abstract object
In old English poems, the crow was treated as a harbinger of death.
The first warm afternoon in March felt like a harbinger of spring.
Doctors view a persistent cough as a possible harbinger of more serious illness.
- omen
more mystical; usually about fate or supernatural prediction
- precursor
neutral; emphasises temporal order rather than warning
- forerunner
neutral; can also mean a predecessor in a sequence
- herald
near-synonym, slightly more elevated; often of large changes
文法句型
harbinger of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of' + an event noun (death, change, doom, spring). Most often used for unwelcome events, but the positive use ('harbinger of spring', 'harbinger of hope') is also standard.
常見錯誤
harbinger — verb
- harbingerpresent simple I / you / we / they
- harbingers3rd person singular
- harbingering-ing form
- harbingeredpast simple
1. to act as an early sign that a particular event, usually large or important, is
to act as an early sign that a particular event, usually large or important, is about to take place.
Sirin worried that the layoffs harbingered a deeper crisis at the company.
subject = event; object = larger event
The cool morning breeze harbingered the end of summer in Kyoto.
literary use: weather harbingering a season
Falling bond prices may harbinger trouble in the wider financial market.
Reviewers said the young pianist's debut harbingered a long and brilliant career.
- foreshadow
more common; suggests hints rather than firm warnings
- presage
formal/literary; similar register to 'harbinger'
- signal
everyday word; what most speakers would use instead
文法句型
harbinger + noun (event)
用法筆記
Very rare in everyday speech — the noun form is the standard one. The verb is mostly seen in literary, journalistic, or formal writing; learners can usually use 'signal', 'foreshadow', or 'be a harbinger of' instead.