portentous

[pawr-ten-tuhs, pohr-]

adjective

1. of the nature of a portent; momentous.

2. ominously significant or indicative.

   a portentous defeat.

   Synonyms: threatening, inauspicious, unpropitious

3. marvelous; amazing; prodigious.

portentous

/ pɔːˈtɛntəs /

adjective

1. of momentous or ominous significance

2. miraculous, amazing, or awe-inspiring; prodigious

3. self-important or pompous

Other Word Forms

• portentousness noun
• portentously adverb
• nonportentous adjective
• nonportentously adverb
• nonportentousness noun
• unportentous adjective
• unportentously adverb
• unportentousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of portentous¹

From the Latin word portentōsus, dating back to 1530–40. See portent, -ous

Synonym Study

See ominous.

Example Sentences

Like the album, the trailer's atmosphere is brooding and portentous.

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It is, exactly as Adebimpe suggested, akin to a mixtape that acts as a time capsule for a portentous period for an individual as much as the collective.

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Unable to persuade a majority of the commission to endorse their deficit-cutting recommendations, Simpson and Bowles took it upon themselves to issue a list under the portentous title “The Moment of Truth.”

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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.

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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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apocalyptic 
• haunting 
• intriguing www.thesaurus.com
• ominous