betokening
Serving as sign
Betokening is the present participle of betoken, meaning to serve as a sign or indication of something.
The word is literary and somewhat formal: dark clouds betokening a storm, a silence betokening disapproval.
It suggests that one thing portends or foreshadows another, often something significant or ominous.
Foretelling of future events
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- auguryOmen interpretation practice
- predictionForecast of coming events
- prognosticationForetelling future events
presage · oracle · soothsaying · clairvoyance · foreshadowing · premonition · forecasting · anticipation
Showing or pointing to
- denotingIndicating by name
- signalingConveying information nonverbally
- representingActing as proxy for
- expressingCommunicating thoughts outwardly
manifesting · revealing · demonstrating · evidencing · conveying · communicating · testifying · disclosing
Indirect indication of something
- insinuationIndirect, usually negative suggestion
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
- allusionIndirect reference to something
inkling · hint · whisper · glimmer · trace · whiff · nuance · subtext
Representational sign or device
- symbolRepresentational mark or sign
- representationDepiction or likeness
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
- metaphorImplied identity comparison
figurative · motif · iconography · imagery · totem · badge · ensign · cipher
prophecy
Foretelling of future events
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- auguryOmen interpretation practice
- predictionForecast of coming events
prognostication · presage · oracle · soothsaying · clairvoyance · foreshadowing · premonition · forecasting · anticipation · forewarning
indicating
Showing or pointing to
- denotingIndicating by name
- signalingConveying information nonverbally
- representingActing as proxy for
expressing · manifesting · revealing · demonstrating · evidencing · conveying · communicating · testifying · disclosing · connoting
intimation
Indirect indication of something
- insinuationIndirect, usually negative suggestion
- suggestionIdea proposed for consideration
- implicationIndirect suggestion or consequence
allusion · inkling · hint · whisper · glimmer · trace · whiff · nuance · subtext · clue
emblem
Representational sign or device
- symbolRepresentational mark or sign
- representationDepiction or likeness
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
metaphor · figurative · motif · iconography · imagery · totem · badge · ensign · cipher · device
betokeningdeclaring
Formally stating something
announcing · asserting · proclaiming · spelling out · pronouncing
betokeningconcealing
Keeping something secret
hiding · obscuring · masking · disguising · veiling
token, tokens, betoken, tokenism, tokenistic, foretoken, betokened, betokens, tokenize