ominous

adjective om·i·nous \ ˈä-mə-nəs \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: ominous in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Difference Between ominous, portentous, and fateful

Definition of ominous

: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous; especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil : inauspicious

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ominously

adverb

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ominousness

noun

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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.

Recent Examples of ominous from the Web

Letting the treaty lapse would send an ominous signal, because every other part of the bilateral arms-control regime left over from the cold war is either dead or crumbling.

— The Economist, "What Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ought to talk about in Helsinki," 12 July 2018
The aloes of the title dominate the space which feels like a little oasis in an ominous encroaching desert.

— marcus crowder, San Francisco Chronicle, "Athol Fugard’s apartheid drama ‘Lesson From Aloes’ in S.F. just brilliant," 8 June 2018
The clip from Arrival, which included loud, ominous tones and whispery dialogue, benefited the most from the soundbar–specifically from its center tweeter, which was designed to amplify dialogue.

— lauren goode, WIRED, "Sonos's New Soundbar Points to a Voice-Enabled Future," 6 June 2018
Six riders crashed out in the first three laps, and when world championship leader Marc Marquez inexplicably slid out from an ominous looking second place, Lorenzo's victory seemed all but assured.

— jonathan hawkins, CNN, "Jorge Lorenzo ends Ducati drought with bittersweet win," 4 June 2018
Today, among the dead in the Promenade Des Alyscamps — also a prestigious Italian cemetery — Gucci models walked down a flaming runway to an ominous drumbeat.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Gucci’s Cruise 2019 Show Had a Fascination With Death," 30 May 2018
Glenn Avery Breed’s costumes kept the setting neutral, suggesting some mid-20th-century European state; Mr. Baker’s lighting kept the production’s focus both tight and ominous.

— heidi waleson, WSJ, "‘Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera,’ ‘Rocking Horse Winner’ and ‘The Consul’ Reviews," 9 July 2018
Similarly, Freedom Day inspires the hands on Mies Julie's isolated Karoo farm to carouse late into the night, but in a manner that seems singularly ominous.

— justin hayford, Chicago Reader, "Mies Julie depicts a postapartheid South Africa still mired in its legacy of colonialism and racism," 6 June 2018
On the right, an ominous looking jailhouse mug shot.

— dan simon, CNN, "Will voters bench the judge who gave a 6-month sentence in the Stanford sexual assault case?," 1 June 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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of ominous

see omen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

ominous Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of ominous

ominous, portentous, fateful mean having a menacing or threatening aspect. ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.