bode

1 of 2

verb

boded; boding

transitive verb

1
: to indicate (something, such as a future event) by signs : presage
bode disaster
recent data that bodes well for her reelection
2
archaic : to announce beforehand : foretell

bode

2 of 2

past tense of bide

Phrases
bode ill
: to show or suggest that future developments or events will be unfavorable or unwelcome : to be a sign of trouble to come
Any further diminishing of the species' gene pool can only bode ill for the future.John Hew Fanshawe
bode well
: to show or suggest that future developments or events will be good or favorable : to be a sign of good things to come
… the news … does not bode well for our future standard of living.Lester C. Thurow

Examples of bode in a Sentence

Verb This could bode disaster for all involved. her natural gift for reading boded well for her future in school
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Da Silva has been knocked out three times under the UFC banner, and that does not bode well for her in this matchup. Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 And then Stabler gets that end-of-episode call from Joe Jr., which also doesn’t bode well for anybody. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 29 May 2025 As for the rest of the field: Ann Dowd is a former winner, though she hasn’t been nominated since 2021; Kristen Scott Thomas somehow wasn’t nominated last year for Slow Horses, which probably doesn’t bode too well for her this year. Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 May 2025 The court has also found that Mann and his lawyers deliberately misled the jury during the trial, which bodes very well for Steyn in his righteous appeal of the verdict. The Editors, National Review, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bode

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bodian; akin to Old English bēodan to proclaim — more at bid entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of bode was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bode. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

bode

1 of 2 verb
boded; boding
: to indicate (as a future event) by signs : foreshadow

bode

2 of 2

past of bide

More from Merriam-Webster on bode

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