ominous

adjective

om·i·nous ˈä-mə-nəs How to pronounce ominous (audio)

: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous

especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil : inauspicious

ominously adverb

ominousness noun

Did you know?

The Difference Between Ominous, Portentous, and Fateful

Ominous didn't always mean "foreshadowing evil." If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "presaging events to come"—whether good or bad. It is ultimately derived from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen. Today, however, ominous tends to suggest a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms portentous and fateful are used similarly, but ominous is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming character that foreshadows evil or disaster. Portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive, but seldom gives a definite forewarning of calamity. Fateful implies that something is of momentous or decisive importance.

Example Sentences

Not many sets of initials became universally recognizable during the twentieth century, and those that did often had ominous overtones, from SS to KGB.

Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Atlantic, March 2001 While politicians and multinational corporations extol the virtues of NAFTA … the ominous curtain is already up in a six-mile section at the border crossing at Mexicali …

Leslie Marmon Silko, Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit, 1996 Fighting against sensations that sought to claim him, he moved nervously and the note in his hand rattled with a dry and ominous whisper.

Richard Wright, Rite of Passage, 1994 Arranged in two long and ominous rows, the branding irons dangled from the ceiling in the center of the room, suggesting some sort of fence or jail …

Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1993 an ominous threat of war He spoke in ominous tones. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Though its name is ominous, 'Pandora's Box' is a miniature hosta that's sure to bring lots of joy to your garden.

Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022 Even more ominous are the underfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare, which will impose severe burdens on the next generation of Americans.

Richard Vedder, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 But that ticking, which was in fact a silence, something like acceptance, was ominous.

Paul Theroux, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Sinema’s response to the new Inflation Reduction Act has been ominous.

Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 28 July 2022 Gaga’s set looks like some type of Berlin nightclub: imposing and ominous.

Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2022 Where a god called Desire (Mason Alexander Park), who's been surveilling Dream for several episodes, says something ominous about having a plan to eliminate Dream once and for all.

Alex Raiman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022 Woodring’s world, the Unifactor—remains ambiguous, ominous, and, more often than not, cute.

Sam Thielman, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022 Placed in the pristine atrium, Carroll’s constructions appear both incongruous and a bit ominous, as if the artist had fast-forwarded to the building’s eventual ruin.

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 See More

ominous

adjective

as in sinister

being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come that comment about downsizing from the company president sounded ominous

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

sinister
menacing
bleak
threatening
somber
darkening
foreboding
portentous
dark
murky
dire
direful
inauspicious
minatory
lonely
baleful
depressive
depressing
desolate
unfortunate
doomy
black
gray
ill
ill-boding
morbid
unfavorable
gloomy
cold
dim
lugubrious
grey
dismal
cheerless
sullen
morose
elegiac
saturnine
lonesome
glum
dreary
sombre
forlorn
troubled
discouraging
sepulchral
tenebrous
unpropitious
unpromising
drear
funereal
disconsolate
chill
godforsaken
cloudy
comfortless
evil
miserable
hopeless
plutonian
disheartening
elegiacal
malignant
dreich
sunless
wretched
unlucky
tenebrific
malign
Cimmerian
ill-starred
ill-fated
star-crossed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

favorable
promising
bright
benign
hopeful
auspicious
golden
unthreatening
propitious
encouraging
prosperous
heartening

Synonym Chooser

The words fateful and portentous are common synonyms of ominous. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

The words fateful and ominous can be used in similar contexts, but fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

Although the words portentous and ominous have much in common, portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

单词	ominous
释义	ominous adjective om·i·nous ˈä-mə-nəs : being or exhibiting an omen : portentous especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil : inauspicious ominously adverb ominousness noun Did you know? The Difference Between Ominous, Portentous, and Fateful Ominous didn't always mean "foreshadowing evil." If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "presaging events to come"—whether good or bad. It is ultimately derived from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen. Today, however, ominous tends to suggest a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms portentous and fateful are used similarly, but ominous is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming character that foreshadows evil or disaster. Portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive, but seldom gives a definite forewarning of calamity. Fateful implies that something is of momentous or decisive importance. Synonyms baleful dire direful doomy foreboding ill ill-boding inauspicious menacing minatory portentous sinister threatening See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Not many sets of initials became universally recognizable during the twentieth century, and those that did often had ominous overtones, from SS to KGB. Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Atlantic, March 2001 While politicians and multinational corporations extol the virtues of NAFTA … the ominous curtain is already up in a six-mile section at the border crossing at Mexicali … Leslie Marmon Silko, Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit, 1996 Fighting against sensations that sought to claim him, he moved nervously and the note in his hand rattled with a dry and ominous whisper. Richard Wright, Rite of Passage, 1994 Arranged in two long and ominous rows, the branding irons dangled from the ceiling in the center of the room, suggesting some sort of fence or jail … Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1993 an ominous threat of war He spoke in ominous tones. See More Recent Examples on the Web Though its name is ominous, 'Pandora's Box' is a miniature hosta that's sure to bring lots of joy to your garden. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022 Even more ominous are the underfunded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare, which will impose severe burdens on the next generation of Americans. Richard Vedder, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 But that ticking, which was in fact a silence, something like acceptance, was ominous. Paul Theroux, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Sinema’s response to the new Inflation Reduction Act has been ominous. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 28 July 2022 Gaga’s set looks like some type of Berlin nightclub: imposing and ominous. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2022 Where a god called Desire (Mason Alexander Park), who's been surveilling Dream for several episodes, says something ominous about having a plan to eliminate Dream once and for all. Alex Raiman, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2022 Woodring’s world, the Unifactor—remains ambiguous, ominous, and, more often than not, cute. Sam Thielman, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022 Placed in the pristine atrium, Carroll’s constructions appear both incongruous and a bit ominous, as if the artist had fast-forwarded to the building’s eventual ruin. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology see omen First Known Use 1580, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition ominous adjective om·i·nous ˈä-mə-nəs : considered a sign of evil or trouble to come … the clouds there seemed to be growing darker, massing in ominous grey mounds with a yellowish tinge. Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising ominous adjective as in sinister being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come that comment about downsizing from the company president sounded ominous Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance sinister menacing bleak threatening somber darkening foreboding portentous dark murky dire direful inauspicious minatory lonely baleful depressive depressing desolate unfortunate doomy black gray ill ill-boding morbid unfavorable gloomy cold dim lugubrious grey dismal cheerless sullen morose elegiac saturnine lonesome glum dreary sombre forlorn troubled discouraging sepulchral tenebrous unpropitious unpromising drear funereal disconsolate chill godforsaken cloudy comfortless evil miserable hopeless plutonian disheartening elegiacal malignant dreich sunless wretched unlucky tenebrific malign Cimmerian ill-starred ill-fated star-crossed Antonyms & Near Antonyms favorable promising bright benign hopeful auspicious golden unthreatening propitious encouraging prosperous heartening See More Synonym Chooser The words fateful and portentous are common synonyms of ominous. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster. ominous rumblings from the volcano The words fateful and ominous can be used in similar contexts, but fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance. the fateful conference that led to war Although the words portentous and ominous have much in common, portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity. an eerie and portentous stillness
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ominous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser