ominous
Americanadjective
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portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious.
an ominous bank of dark clouds.
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indicating the nature of a future event, for good or evil; having the significance of an omen; being a portent.
Some of these events were immediately ominous, while others only later revealed themselves as such.
adjective
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foreboding evil
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serving as or having significance as an omen
Synonym Usage
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: 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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ominous
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin ōminōsus “portentous,” equivalent to ōmin- (stem of ōmen ) + -ōsus; see origin at omen, -ous
Explanation
If something looks or sounds ominous, be careful: a threat or an unpleasant event is at hand. If you see an ominous frown on your boss's face, you're in trouble! Ominous, and the related word omen both come from the 16th century Latin word ōmen "foreboding." However, unlike omen, which is a sign of something good or bad to come, ominous always describes something unpleasant or threatening. If the future looks ominous, you've got nothing to look forward to. Figuratively, an ominous sky or ominous clouds promise rain or a storm.
Vocabulary lists containing ominous
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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.
That might be a relief for frustrated home buyers sick of hearing about it, but it’s an ominous sign for investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
It’s an ominous start to the third season under Jim Harbaugh, who has found significant success at every one of his coaching stops.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
When I visit, it is a hot and humid day, there are ominous dark clouds in the sky, and heavy, thundery downpours are hitting the surrounding region.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
LE PORGE, France — A monster fire-induced thundercloud towered over Bordeaux this summer, the first time firefighters had ever seen this type of ominous smoke-and-lightning weather system in France.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Being a suppression, not merely a repression, it produced not frustration, but something more ominous, perhaps, in the long rim: passivity.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
