What does bode mean?
"Bode" is a verb meaning to be a sign or omen of something to come—to indicate, usually ominously, how events are likely to unfold. In modern usage it survives almost entirely in two fixed phrases: "bode well" and "bode ill." A company's shrinking profits might not bode well for its future, while an early spring thaw might bode ill for ski resorts. The word carries a distinctly formal, literary tone and is most at home in news commentary, political analysis, and narrative prose describing ominous portents. Interestingly, it is far more common in negative constructions—"this does not bode well"—than positive ones, giving it a subtly pessimistic flavor. Derived from the Old English "bodian," meaning to proclaim or announce, it originally referred to delivering messages, which makes its modern sense fitting: when something bodes, it announces the future before it arrives. Its close relative "forebode" adds a stronger sense of dread, and its derivative "foreboding" thrives as both adjective and noun.
To be an omen or sign of a future event; to portend, especially something unfavorable.
"The empty seats at the launch event boded poorly for the new product."
Nearly always appears in the phrases "bode well" or "bode ill", very often negated as "did not bode well."
(Archaic or rare) An omen; a portent or announcement of what is to come.
"In older texts, a strange bird seen before battle was taken as a bode of defeat."
This nominal use is now obsolete in everyday English; readers will encounter it only in historical literature.
As an archaic noun, "bode" forms a regular plural "bodes"; this is rarely encountered outside historical texts. As a verb, no plural applies.
"The chronicler recorded many strange bodes in the weeks before the king's death."
When something doesn't bode well, you're using a word over a thousand years old—Old English speakers had professional messengers called 'bodas,' and 'bode' literally means to announce what's coming.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bode
"Bode" descends from the Old English verb "bodian," meaning to proclaim or announce, itself derived from "boda," a messenger or herald. The original sense of announcing gradually shifted toward announcing or signaling things to come, yielding the modern meaning of serving as an omen. It shares ancient Germanic roots with words like German "bieten" and Dutch "bieden," meaning to offer or present. The prefixed form "forebode" arose later, intensifying the predictive sense with connotations of dread.
Related word forms
How bode is actually used
Almost always used in the fixed expressions "bode well" and "bode ill", typically in negative constructions such as "did not bode well." The register is somewhat formal and literary; it appears frequently in journalism and commentary about ominous signs. It is nearly always used figuratively rather than for literal prediction.
Easily confused with bode
"Abode" is a noun meaning a dwelling or home, while "bode" is a verb meaning to be an omen of something.
"Bade" is the past tense of "bid" (to command or say), whereas "bode" is a verb meaning to foreshadow or portend.