portentous

adjective

por·ten·tous pȯr-ˈten-təs How to pronounce portentous (audio)

: of, relating to, or constituting a portent

suspense, portentous foreshadowing, hints of sinister and violent mysteries

Francine Prose

: eliciting amazement or wonder : prodigious

: being a grave or serious matter

portentous decisions

: self-consciously solemn or important : pompous

portentous declamation unsalted by the least trace of humor

W. H. Pritchard

: ponderously excessive

that discipline's overwrought, portentous phrases

R. M. Coles

portentously adverb

portentousness noun

Did you know?

At the heart of portentous is portent, a word for an omen or sign, which comes to us from the Latin noun portentum of the same meaning. And indeed, the first uses of portentous did refer to omens. The second sense of portentous, describing that which is extremely impressive, developed in the 16th century. A third definition—"grave, solemn, significant"—was then added to the second edition of Webster's New International Dictionary in 1934. The word's connotations, however, have since moved into less estimable territory. It now frequently describes both the pompous and the excessive.

Example Sentences

an eerie and portentous stillness hung over the camp the night before the battle in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event

Recent Examples on the Web But the phrase feels more portentous than exhilarating, given the source.

Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Her singing voice is a magisterial thing — epic and portentous, even a little scary.

Owen Myers, EW.com, 30 June 2022 The first sentence sounds the alarm in a portentous poetic rhythm (The fight is here).

Susan J. Wolfson, The Atlantic, 18 June 2022 Recent public declarations from Garland, whose spokespeople did not respond to multiple requests for interviews with him or his top aides, regarding where the investigation is headed have been portentous, but also ambiguous.

Mark Hosenball, The New Republic, 13 June 2022 Occasionally, a voice-over will intone portentous, poetic, and obscure observations.

Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, 26 May 2022 One episode, complete with portentous flashbacks, is partly dedicated to her difficult relationship with her fraudster father, the traumatic loss of her brother to cancer, and her fears of abandonment.

The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022 The president will sign the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act — which speeds up the process of sending aid to Ukraine — on Monday, the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, and a day of portentous significance in Russia.

Washington Post, 7 May 2022 There are mysteries that are obvious or boring, so many portentous clues about characters' futures.

Darren Franich, EW.com, 11 May 2022 See More

portentous

adjective

as in ominous

being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come an eerie and portentous stillness hung over the camp the night before the battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in astonishing

causing wonder or astonishment in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event

Synonyms & Similar Words

astonishing
wonderful
miraculous
surprising
amazing
marvellous
sublime
marvelous
incredible
stunning
extraordinary
stupendous
wondrous
staggering
impressive
remarkable
awesome
prodigious
spectacular
astounding
awful
unusual
incomprehensible
interesting
fabulous
fascinating
inconceivable
exciting
unbelievable
unimaginable
striking
conspicuous
uncommon
unwonted
unthinkable
unique
eye-opening
rare
enchanting
noticeable
outstanding
notable
charming
singular
alluring
attractive
sensational
phenomenal
bewitching
enthralling
enlightening
enlivening
invigorating
beguiling
entertaining
galvanizing
captivating
energizing
attracting
smashing
mind-boggling
mind-blowing
mind-bending
animating
stimulating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unremarkable
tedious
unimpressive
monotonous
dull
uninteresting
boring
wearisome
usual
mundane
ordinary
customary
uninspiring
common
typical
wearying
weary
normal
tiring
unexceptional
uninspired
fatiguing
exhausting
draining
debilitating
dispiriting
discouraging
enervating
jading
disheartening
wearing
demoralizing
enfeebling

Synonym Chooser

The words fateful and ominous are common synonyms of portentous. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

In some situations, the words fateful and portentous are roughly equivalent. However, fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

The words ominous and portentous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

单词	portentous
释义	portentous adjective por·ten·tous pȯr-ˈten-təs 1 : of, relating to, or constituting a portent suspense, portentous foreshadowing, hints of sinister and violent mysteries Francine Prose 2 : eliciting amazement or wonder : prodigious 3 a : being a grave or serious matter portentous decisions b : self-consciously solemn or important : pompous portentous declamation unsalted by the least trace of humor W. H. Pritchard c : ponderously excessive that discipline's overwrought, portentous phrases R. M. Coles portentously adverb portentousness noun Did you know? At the heart of portentous is portent, a word for an omen or sign, which comes to us from the Latin noun portentum of the same meaning. And indeed, the first uses of portentous did refer to omens. The second sense of portentous, describing that which is extremely impressive, developed in the 16th century. A third definition—"grave, solemn, significant"—was then added to the second edition of Webster's New International Dictionary in 1934. The word's connotations, however, have since moved into less estimable territory. It now frequently describes both the pompous and the excessive. Synonyms baleful dire direful doomy foreboding ill ill-boding inauspicious menacing minatory ominous sinister threatening See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences an eerie and portentous stillness hung over the camp the night before the battle in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event Recent Examples on the Web But the phrase feels more portentous than exhilarating, given the source. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022 Her singing voice is a magisterial thing — epic and portentous, even a little scary. Owen Myers, EW.com, 30 June 2022 The first sentence sounds the alarm in a portentous poetic rhythm (The fight is here). Susan J. Wolfson, The Atlantic, 18 June 2022 Recent public declarations from Garland, whose spokespeople did not respond to multiple requests for interviews with him or his top aides, regarding where the investigation is headed have been portentous, but also ambiguous. Mark Hosenball, The New Republic, 13 June 2022 Occasionally, a voice-over will intone portentous, poetic, and obscure observations. Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, 26 May 2022 One episode, complete with portentous flashbacks, is partly dedicated to her difficult relationship with her fraudster father, the traumatic loss of her brother to cancer, and her fears of abandonment. The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022 The president will sign the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act — which speeds up the process of sending aid to Ukraine — on Monday, the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, and a day of portentous significance in Russia. Washington Post, 7 May 2022 There are mysteries that are obvious or boring, so many portentous clues about characters' futures. Darren Franich, EW.com, 11 May 2022 See More Word History First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition portentous adjective por·ten·tous pȯr-ˈten-təs : giving a sign or warning of something usually bad that is going to happen a portentous dream portentous adjective 1 as in ominous being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come an eerie and portentous stillness hung over the camp the night before the battle Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance ominous sinister menacing bleak somber darkening threatening foreboding direful minatory dark inauspicious baleful murky dire lonely depressive doomy unfortunate depressing desolate ill-boding black ill gray lugubrious morbid elegiac dim unfavorable gloomy morose sepulchral saturnine unpropitious cheerless lonesome funereal cold dismal sullen sombre dreary glum grey unpromising discouraging drear disconsolate forlorn plutonian troubled tenebrous godforsaken comfortless disheartening chill cloudy hopeless miserable malignant evil sunless elegiacal wretched dreich malign unlucky ill-starred tenebrific Cimmerian ill-fated star-crossed Antonyms & Near Antonyms favorable promising propitious auspicious benign bright golden hopeful unthreatening prosperous encouraging heartening See More 2 as in astonishing causing wonder or astonishment in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event Synonyms & Similar Words astonishing wonderful miraculous surprising amazing marvellous sublime marvelous incredible stunning extraordinary stupendous wondrous staggering impressive remarkable awesome prodigious spectacular astounding awful unusual incomprehensible interesting fabulous fascinating inconceivable exciting unbelievable unimaginable striking conspicuous uncommon unwonted unthinkable unique eye-opening rare enchanting noticeable outstanding notable charming singular alluring attractive sensational phenomenal bewitching enthralling enlightening enlivening invigorating beguiling entertaining galvanizing captivating energizing attracting smashing mind-boggling mind-blowing mind-bending animating stimulating Antonyms & Near Antonyms unremarkable tedious unimpressive monotonous dull uninteresting boring wearisome usual mundane ordinary customary uninspiring common typical wearying weary normal tiring unexceptional uninspired fatiguing exhausting draining debilitating dispiriting discouraging enervating jading disheartening wearing demoralizing enfeebling See More Synonym Chooser The words fateful and ominous are common synonyms of portentous. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity. an eerie and portentous stillness In some situations, the words fateful and portentous are roughly equivalent. However, fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance. the fateful conference that led to war The words ominous and portentous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster. ominous rumblings from the volcano
随便看	pre-lunch pre-luncheon pre-made pre-make pre-making pre-manufacture pre-manufactured pre-manufacturing pre-marital pre-maritally pre-market pre-marketing pre-marriage pre-Marxian pre-marxist pre-meal pre-measure pre-measured pre-measuring pre-medieval pre-meet pre-meiotic pre-Mendelian pre-menopausal pre-menopause

portentous

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser