{"id":10269,"date":"2022-11-02T20:18:51","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10269"},"modified":"2022-11-02T20:18:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:18:51","slug":"harbinger-of-doom-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/harbinger-of-doom-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Harbinger of Doom \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you see an event as a sign of worse things to come? You could say that it is a \u201charbinger of doom<\/strong>.\u201d Read on to discover where this curious phrase comes from and what it means. We\u2019ll also show how to use it in a sentence.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201charbinger of doom<\/strong>\u201d means \u201ca bad omen\u201d or \u201can early warning that something terrible is about to happen<\/u>.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can say that events, people, or animals are harbingers of doom to indicate that they spell disaster.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

Are you not sure how you would use the phrase \u201charbinger of doom\u201d in a sentence? Use these examples for inspiration:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cSome said that the Prime Minister\u2019s disastrously short mandate was a harbinger of doom<\/strong> and that the Conservative Party is set to lose the general election.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a great username for a first-person shooter game, harbinger of doom<\/strong> would be a cool choice.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cBlack cats aren\u2019t harbingers of doom<\/strong> at all, but widely misunderstood creatures who will love you forever if you give them a good home.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Origin<\/h2>\n

    The expression \u201charbinger of doom<\/strong>\u201d is well-known, but few people are familiar with its fascinating origins.<\/p>\n

    The Middle English<\/strong> word \u201cherberger<\/strong>,\u201d from which \u201charbinger\u201d is derived, meant \u201cinnkeeper<\/strong>\u201d in the 12th<\/sup> century. As time went on, the meaning of this word shifted.<\/p>\n

    A harbinger became a forerunner or messenger whose job was arranging lodgings for royals or military battalions.<\/p>\n

    A \u201charbinger of doom\u201d is a different type of messenger \u2014 rather than running ahead to make lodgings available, this type of harbinger is a sign of terrible things to come.<\/p>\n

    The word \u201charbinger\u201d became a metaphor over time, but it\u2019s interesting to note that literal harbingers of doom also exist. They take the form of street preachers or town criers who warn that the world will end tomorrow.<\/p>\n

    The first print example of the saying \u201charbinger of doom\u201d dates back to 1772, when the Edinburgh Advertiser<\/em> referred to Scottish migration as a \u201charbinger of devoted ruin.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The word \u201charbinger\u201d has now completely fallen out of use. The humble harbinger of doom is the last remaining reference to this word in modern English. Ironically, that makes it not a messenger sent ahead but a relic of the past.<\/p>\n

    Phrases Similar to Harbinger of Doom<\/h2>\n

    If you aren\u2019t comfortable using the slightly archaic phrase \u201charbinger of doom,\u201d you can also say that something is:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • The canary in the coal mine<\/strong> \u2014 meaning an early warning.<\/li>\n
    • A red flag<\/strong> \u2014 meaning a sign of trouble.<\/li>\n
    • Bad omen<\/strong> or evil omen<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    • A warning shot<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Phrases Opposite to Harbinger of Doom<\/h2>\n

      Other expressions that included the word \u201charbinger\u201d \u2014 like a harbinger of spring or a harbinger of good things to come \u2014 have now all but gone extinct.<\/p>\n

      You can use the following phrases to talk about positive events:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • A good sign<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      • Catch a break<\/strong> \u2014 meaning good news after a time of struggle.<\/li>\n
      • A blessing in disguise<\/strong> \u2014 meaning that a difficult situation can ultimately prove to be a good thing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

        The correct saying is \u201charbinger of doom<\/strong>.\u201d It refers to an event or person that foretells disaster or to a bad omen.<\/p>\n

        Ways People May Say Harbinger of Doom Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        You may not know how to pronounce \u201charbinger\u201d if you have only ever seen the word in writing.<\/p>\n

        If you\u2019d describe someone who binge-watches TV shows as a \u201cbinger,\u201d that\u2019s how the \u201cbinger\u201d in \u201charbinger\u201d is pronounced. The \u201cbinger\u201d in harbinger is not<\/em> pronounced like \u201cbanger\u201d with an I.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Say Harbinger of Doom<\/h2>\n

        You can describe a terrible decision, natural disaster, incompetent leader, black cat, accident, or any other ominous event, person, or being as a \u201charbinger of doom.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Only do this if you think the thing you\u2019re talking about is a sign of worse things to come, and you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n

        The expression \u201charbinger of doom\u201d is no longer very popular. It is best used in formal contexts when you are looking for a colorful way to describe struggles ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Do you see an event as a sign of worse things to come? You could say that it is a \u201charbinger of doom.\u201d Read on to discover where this curious phrase comes from and what it means. We\u2019ll also show how to use it in a sentence. Meaning The expression \u201charbinger of doom\u201d means \u201ca […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10269"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10269"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10271,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10269\/revisions\/10271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}