ominous

[ om-uh-nuhs ]

/ ˈɒm ə nəs /

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See synonyms for ominous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: an ominous bank of dark clouds.

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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ominous

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin ōminōsus “portentous,” equivalent to ōmin- (stem of ōmen ) + -ōsus; see origin at omen, -ous

synonym study for ominous

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 WORDS FROM ominous

om·i·nous·ly, adverbom·i·nous·ness, nounun·om·i·nous, adjectiveun·om·i·nous·ly, adverb

un·om·i·nous·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ominous in a sentence

On a deeper level, thinking back to her sister’s ominous prediction in the spring, Heather has wondered if her sister somehow sensed what was to come.
‘I said goodbye to my sister through a computer screen’|Holly Bailey|January 2, 2021|Washington Post
That’s terrifying in itself, but it’s particularly ominous for climate change.
The pandemic taught us how not to deal with climate change|James Temple|January 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review
In “Magdalene,” she sits alone, the scene set by the ominous shadows of three crosses.
For this artist and his girlfriend, life in lockdown became a creative opportunity|Mark Jenkins|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
Still, almost every metric appeared headed in an ominous direction.
With coronavirus cases spiking nationwide, all signs point to a harrowing autumn|Brady Dennis, Jacqueline Dupree, Marisa Iati|November 11, 2020|Washington Post

The infection numbers are bad, but the big metric to watch is hospitalizations and deaths, two ominous lagging indicators that have the power to torpedo economic recovery, particularly as curfews and regional lockdown measures are enacted.
Earnings were supposed to lift the markets. What happened?|Bernhard Warner|October 16, 2020|Fortune
(An ominously slow version of “Crazy in Love” soundtracks the last trailer).
Erect Nipples, Blindfolds, and ‘50 Shades’ of Deja Vu|Lizzie Crocker|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the tanks with their guns bristling ominously toward Syrian territory failed to respond to the shelling.
Turkey’s Attitude Toward ISIS? Sympathy for the Devil|Jamie Dettmer|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More ominously, there is a rising tide of discontent that threatens to turn the streets into war zones.
Brazil’s World Cup Is An Expensive, Exploitative Nightmare|Vac Verikaitis|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More ominously, Republican respondents said they were planning on voting in far greater numbers than did Democrats.
Here’s What Happens When the GOP Takes Over the Senate|Michael Tomasky|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most ominously, a law permitting the use of Russian as an official language in select regions was revoked.
Cut the Baloney on Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That night he encamped near a fair-sized village which was ominously denuded of men.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The ice cracked ominously, but step by step he drew closer to where Ritter was clinging.
The Mystery at Putnam Hall|Arthur M. Winfield
It sounds ominously amid the stillness, like the portent of some calamity, horrible and sudden.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
Free to explore that weird city of plodding lives, of strange unexplained sounds, of ominously hidden activity!
Valley of the Croen|Lee Tarbell
But little distractions, irregular duties, worries, uncertainties—Jouffroy shook his head ominously.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird

British Dictionary definitions for ominous

ominous

/ (ˈɒmɪnəs) /

adjective

foreboding evil

serving as or having significance as an omen

Derived forms of ominous

ominously, adverbominousness, noun

Word Origin for ominous

C16: from Latin ōminōsus, from omen

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

ominous

Origin of ominous

synonym study for ominous

OTHER WORDS FROM ominous

Words related to ominous

How to use ominous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ominous

Derived forms of ominous

Word Origin for ominous