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ominous

adjective
om·​i·​nous | \ ˈä-mÉ™-nÉ™s How to pronounce ominous (audio) \

Definition of ominous

: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil : inauspicious
Other Words from ominous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Difference Between Ominous, Portentous, and Fateful Example Sentences Learn More about ominous

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Other Words from ominous

ominously adverb
ominousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for ominous

ominous, portentous, fateful mean having a menacing or threatening aspect. ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster. ominous rumblings from the volcano portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity. an eerie and portentous stillness fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance. the fateful conference that led to war

The Difference Between Ominous, Portentous, and Fateful

Ominous didn't always mean "foreshadowing evil." If you look closely, you can see the "omen" in "ominous," which gave it the original meaning of "presaging events to come" - whether good or bad. It is ultimately derived from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our "omen." Today, however, "ominous" tends to suggest a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms "portentous" and "fateful" are used similarly, but "ominous" is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming character that foreshadows evil or disaster. "Portentous" suggests being frighteningly big or impressive, but seldom gives a definite forewarning of calamity. "Fateful" implies that something is of momentous or decisive importance.

Examples of ominous in a Sentence

Not many sets of initials became universally recognizable during the twentieth century, and those that did often had ominous overtones, from SS to KGB. — Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Atlantic, March 2001 While politicians and multinational corporations extol the virtues of NAFTA … the ominous curtain is already up in a six-mile section at the border crossing at Mexicali … — Leslie Marmon Silko, Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit, 1996 Fighting against sensations that sought to claim him, he moved nervously and the note in his hand rattled with a dry and ominous whisper. — Richard Wright, Rite of Passage, 1994 Arranged in two long and ominous rows, the branding irons dangled from the ceiling in the center of the room, suggesting some sort of fence or jail … — Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1993 an ominous threat of war He spoke in ominous tones.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The losses came after the bond market flashed an ominous warning: the inverted yield curve, which means that the yield for 10-year Treasury notes fell below the yield for two-year notes. — Victoria Albert, CBS News, "Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein: "We're due for a recession"," 15 Aug. 2019 The brief ends with this ominous warning: The Supreme Court is not well. — David French, National Review, "To Save a Bad Gun Law, Democratic Senators Threaten the Supreme Court," 15 Aug. 2019 The ominous warning was issued hours after protesters, angry at Beijing's growing control over Hong Kong's affairs, stormed the city's legislative building and occupied the governing chamber. — Ashley Shaffer, USA TODAY, "Did Kaepernick nix Nike's flag shoes?," 2 July 2019 His ominous warnings about immigrant criminals pouring in from Mexico wound up helping Democrats seize control of the House in November’s midterm election, a devastating setback for his Republican allies. — Seema Mehta, latimes.com, "Trump’s threat to deport millions of immigrants risks backlash in 2020," 21 June 2019 But the defending champions are eager to make up for the failure of 2016 and the performance in Reims sent out an ominous warning to the teams with hopes of taking the title. — Aimee Lewis, CNN, "US breaks scoring record in emphatic Women's World Cup display," 11 June 2019 The rule means coffee won’t have to carry ominous warnings that the beverage may be bad for you, as AP reported. — Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, "State of California declares coffee’s cancer risk insignificant," 3 June 2019 After an ominous warning from one of the prison guards, the mystery convict is revealed — and it’s none other than Cletus Kasady, played by Woody Harrelson. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Venom’s 2 end-credits scenes, explained," 5 Oct. 2018 An ominous warning about safety liability blares over the loudspeaker. — Robin Seemangal, Popular Mechanics, "A Workhorse Rocket Maker Tries to Touch the Sun—And Stay Relevant," 16 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ominous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ominous

1580, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for ominous

see omen

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More Definitions for ominous

ominous

adjective
How to pronounce ominous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ominous

: suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future

See the full definition for ominous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ominous

adjective
om·​i·​nous | \ ˈä-mÉ™-nÉ™s How to pronounce ominous (audio) \

Kids Definition of ominous

: considered a sign of evil or trouble to come … the clouds there seemed to be growing darker, massing in ominous grey mounds with a yellowish tinge.— Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising

Other Words from ominous

ominously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on ominous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ominous

Spanish Central: Translation of ominous

Nglish: Translation of ominous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ominous for Arabic Speakers

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