sinister
threatening or portending evil, harm, or trouble; ominous: a sinister remark.
bad, evil, base, or wicked; fell: his sinister purposes.
unfortunate; disastrous; unfavorable: a sinister accident.
of or on the left side; left.
Heraldry. noting the side of an escutcheon or achievement of arms that is to the left of the bearer (opposed to dexter).
Origin of sinister
1Other words for sinister
Opposites for sinister
Other words from sinister
- sin·is·ter·ly, adverb
- sin·is·ter·ness, noun
- un·sin·is·ter, adjective
- un·sin·is·ter·ly, adverb
- un·sin·is·ter·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for sinister
/ (ˈsɪnɪstə) /
threatening or suggesting evil or harm; ominous: a sinister glance
evil or treacherous, esp in a mysterious way
(usually postpositive) heraldry of, on, or starting from the left side from the bearer's point of view and therefore on the spectator's right
archaic located on the left side
archaic (of signs, omens, etc) unfavourable
Origin of sinister
1- Compare dexter 1
Derived forms of sinister
- sinisterly, adverb
- sinisterness, noun
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
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