| 单词 | ominous |
| 释义 | ominous —ominously, adv. —ominousness, n. /om"euh neuhs/, adj. 1. portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: an ominous bank of dark clouds. 2. having the significance of an omen. [1580-90; < L ominosus portentous, equiv. to omin- (s. of omen) OMEN + -osus -OUS] Syn. OMINOUS, PORTENTOUS, THREATENING, MENACING, FATEFUL are adjectives describing that which forebodes a serious, significant, and often harmful outcome. OMINOUS, derived from omen "a predictor of outcomes," usually suggests evil or damaging eventualities: ominous storm clouds; an ominous silence. PORTENTOUS, although it may suggest evil results, often stresses a momentous or very important outcome: a portentous moment in history; a portentous escalation of hostilities. THREATENING may suggest calamity or great harm but sometimes mere unpleasantness: a threatening rumble from the volcano; A threatening look from his brother caused him to quickly change the subject. MENACING always suggests serious damage as an outcome: a disease menacing the entire population; He advanced with a menacing swagger. FATEFUL most often stresses the great or decisive importance of what it describes: a fateful encounter between two future leaders; a fateful day that changed our world. |
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