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.
She plans to sweep away the cobwebs and inject warmth and life into a farm mired in portentous dialogue and unmentionable secrets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Like the album, the trailer's atmosphere is brooding and portentous.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025
It was also an America with some portentous innovations.
From Slate • Jun. 20, 2024
This felt like, for us, a tribute to her and allowed us to play with the sense of something a little more portentous without being opportunistic.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024
On the stage, in front of a velvet curtain, were two flags: the Stars and Stripes and the unmistakable and portentous crimson Soviet banner with its hammer and sickle.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
