To augur means to predict or suggest what will happen in the future, often based on signs or current conditions. When dark clouds augur a storm, they signal that rain is likely coming. When a strong start to the season augurs well for a sports team, it suggests they'll continue succeeding.

The word comes from ancient Rome, where an augur was an official priest who interpreted signs from the gods by watching how birds flew or how chickens ate their grain. Romans wouldn't make important decisions about battles or building projects without consulting these predictions.

Today we use augur without any supernatural meaning. If your teacher says your excellent homework augurs good results on the test, she means your preparation suggests you'll do well. When something augurs poorly or augurs ill, it hints at trouble ahead, like when rising tensions between friends augur a falling-out.

The word feels more formal and serious than simple words like “predict” or “suggest.” You might say a discovery augurs a breakthrough in science, or that strange behavior augurs a problem, but you probably wouldn't say your rumbling stomach augurs lunch.