boded; boding
bode
2 of 2past 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
John Hew Fanshawe
: 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
Lester C. ThurowExamples 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
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
That doesn’t bode well for McDaniel.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Hiring here usually bodes well for housing.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And if the labor market is showing signs of a cold, that doesn’t bode well for the overall health of the economy.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bode
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The 30-year-old Hernandez has made just 12 big league starts in his three seasons, a factor that does not bode well for the Astros' chances of keeping their eight-year streak of postseason appearances alive.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
That doesn’t bode well for McDaniel.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Hiring here usually bodes well for housing.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
And if the labor market is showing signs of a cold, that doesn’t bode well for the overall health of the economy.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bode
Cite this Entry
“Bode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bode. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bode
2 of 2past of bide
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share