Synonyms

inauspicious

American

[in-aw-spish-uhs] / ˌɪn ɔˈspɪʃ əs /

adjective

not auspicious; boding ill; ill-omened; unfavorable.

Synonyms:

unpromising, ill-timed, unpropitious

inauspicious British

/ ˌɪnɔːˈspɪʃəs /

adjective

not auspicious; unlucky

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

inauspiciously adverb
inauspiciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of inauspicious

First recorded in 1585–95; in- ³ + auspicious

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.

Trump had headed into Davos late, after Air Force One broke down -- an inauspicious start to his trip.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Less than seven months have passed since that inauspicious debut, and Yesavage isn’t in Dunedin anymore.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Bantz’s only big-league game got off to inauspicious start when he went out to center field to warm up pitcher Joe Saunders and threw the ball over his head, plunking a fan in the leg.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2025

And that’s not even mentioning the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles for weeks at the beginning of 2025, making the Oscars seem like an inauspicious and even tone-deaf tradition persisting in the face of tragedy.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2025

I thought it inauspicious that Hari should be on a train with so many dead people.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023