ominous

adjective

om·​i·​nous ˈä-mə-nəs 

: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous

especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil : inauspicious

ominously adverb

ominousness noun

Did you know?

Ominous didn't always mean that something bad was about to happen. If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "being a sign of events to come"—whether good or bad. It ultimately comes from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen. Today, however, ominous suggests 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 quality that foreshadows evil or disaster. So when something wicked this way comes, count on ominous to deliver the news aforehand.

Synonyms

• baleful
• dire
• direful
• doomy
• foreboding
• ill
• ill-boding
• inauspicious
• menacing
• minatory
• portentous
• sinister
• threatening

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

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 on the Web

If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter. —Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025

But despite some ominous signs, a close look at the data shows that travel to the United States is largely holding up — at least so far. —Josh Holder, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

The increasing suicide rates of the elderly in rapidly aging Japan and South Korea are an ominous sign. —The Editors, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025

Six-time All-Star Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler has received a somewhat ominous injury update prior to Game 3 of his club's ongoing best-of-seven first round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, currently knotted at 1-1. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see omen

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ominous

• abdominis

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Kids Definition

ominous

adjective

om·​i·​nous ˈäm-ə-nəs 

: being or showing a sign of evil or misfortune to come

ominous clouds

ominously adverb