harbinger
/ˈhɑːbɪndʒə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhär-bən-jər/ (ame, mw)
harbinger — 名詞
- harbingersingular
- harbingersplural
1. a person, event, or thing whose arrival makes clear that another event — usually
預兆；先兆
預示某事即將發生的人或物
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.
Folake 把港口上空的烏雲視為暴風雨即將來臨的預兆。
harbinger of + concrete event
Falling factory orders are often a harbinger of wider economic trouble.
工廠訂單下滑通常是更大範圍經濟困境的先兆。
subject = trend/indicator; abstract object
In old English poems, the crow was treated as a harbinger of death.
在古英語詩歌中，烏鴉被視為死亡的預兆。
The first warm afternoon in March felt like a harbinger of spring.
三月裡第一個溫暖的午後，感覺就像春天到來的先兆。
Doctors view a persistent cough as a possible harbinger of more serious illness.
醫生把持續性咳嗽視為更嚴重疾病的可能先兆。
- 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 — 動詞
- 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
預示；昭示
作為大事件即將發生的早期徵兆
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.
Sirin 擔心這波裁員預示著公司更深層的危機。
subject = event; object = larger event
The cool morning breeze harbingered the end of summer in Kyoto.
京都早晨的涼風預示著夏天的結束。
literary use: weather harbingering a season
Falling bond prices may harbinger trouble in the wider financial market.
債券價格下跌可能預示著整個金融市場的麻煩。
Reviewers said the young pianist's debut harbingered a long and brilliant career.
評論家說這位年輕鋼琴家的首演預示著他將擁有輝煌而漫長的職業生涯。
- 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.