bode

1 of 2

verb

ˈbōd 

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

see also:

bode ill bode well

bode

2 of 2

past tense of bide

Synonyms of bode

Verb

• promise
• forebode

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

Verb

Hopefully, this livery and the month off will bode well for Cadillac, which is still searching for its first points in F1. —Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Special election was 'harbinger for Democratic enthusiasm' The polling numbers may not play out, but the voter turnout for Shawn Harris in Georgia's 14th district earlier this month bodes well for Democrats across the state. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026

The development bodes poorly for further negotiations, coming just days after Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely to give Iran more time. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026

And his insistence on cutting funding for pretty much everything that creates and sustains a civilization — including the arts and sciences, the humanities and health care, the environment and education — doesn’t bode well for our nascent nation. —Melody Moezzi, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing bode

• bode ill
• bode well

Rhymes for bode

• blowed
• code
• crowed
• flowed
• glowed
• goad
• growed
• knowed
• load
• lode
• lowed
• mode

Kids Definition

bode

1 of 2 verb

ˈbōd 

boded; boding

: to indicate (as a future event) by signs : foreshadow

bode

2 of 2

past of bide