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.

The bell in the Marquis of Granby, once a favourite spot for Conservatives, portentously stopped ringing just before the pandemic shut pubs across the country - and hasn't started back up since.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2024

There’s the portentously over-the-top narration, and then there’s the rapid-fire dialogue that makes “Gilmore Girls” look graceful.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2024

The decision was reached in Uefa’s Tuesday conference call, a telephonic fixture trailed slightly more portentously than a second-tier Champions League tie.

From The Guardian • Mar. 18, 2020

Nonetheless, Officer Schmuck considered my 12-year-old car and declared portentously that I had a “history of collisions.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2020

The country, he said portentously, was sitting on top of a volcano.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela