portentous
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of a portent; momentous.
-
ominously significant or indicative.
a portentous defeat.
- Synonyms:
- threatening, inauspicious, unpropitious
-
marvelous; amazing; prodigious.
adjective
-
of momentous or ominous significance
-
miraculous, amazing, or awe-inspiring; prodigious
-
self-important or pompous
Related Words
See ominous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of portentous
From the Latin word portentōsus, dating back to 1530–40. See portent, -ous
Explanation
The black crows slowly circling the front entrance to your office building at 6:00 a.m. may have a portentous quality, meaning it seems like they’re an omen indicating something bad will happen. Use the adjective portentous to describe something that seems to be a sign related to a future event — generally an ominous sign. Something that is portentous often seems to hint at or warn of a future disaster. For example, in a movie ominous music playing in the background while someone turns a dark corner can have a portentous quality, predicting doom for the hapless character.
Vocabulary lists containing portentous
Romeo and Juliet
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The Great Gatsby
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Were the dialogue a bit less ornate and portentous, the story might be easier to swallow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
That finale closing song selection, “The Windmills of Your Mind,” is spot-on and portentous; its lyrics speak of the dreamy confusion enveloping these two.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025
Starting with his film-school projects in the early 1970s, David Cronenberg hit the ground running with projects that tucked sharp social critiques into ominously portentous narratives.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024
In his review, the BBC's Nicholas Barber called it a "pretentious, portentous curio", akin to someone recalling a "crazy dream".
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2024
There, strangers were as rare as shooting stars, and just as portentous.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
