1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
an eerie and portentous stillness hung over the camp the night before the battle
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in marvellous
causing wonder or astonishment
in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portentous
This game would have been twice as portentous if Davis had been healthy, but the 10-time All-Star who teamed up with James to lead the Lakers to the 2020 championship is out at least two more weeks with a groin injury sustained in his Mavs debut.
—
Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
After the game, Dončić warmly greeted his former teammates but also took a few portentous looks at the Mavericks bench during the night.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
With its whisper-thin characters, vague narrative, and acres of portentous poetry about sound, Rabbit Trap feels somehow both underwritten and overwritten.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Starting with his film-school projects in the early 1970s, David Cronenberg hit the ground running with projects that tucked sharp social critiques into ominously portentous narratives.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
After the game, Dončić warmly greeted his former teammates but also took a few portentous looks at the Mavericks bench during the night.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
With its whisper-thin characters, vague narrative, and acres of portentous poetry about sound, Rabbit Trap feels somehow both underwritten and overwritten.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Starting with his film-school projects in the early 1970s, David Cronenberg hit the ground running with projects that tucked sharp social critiques into ominously portentous narratives.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
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People in this state search for a story that explains why everything suddenly feels uncanny and ominous.—
Rachel Aviv,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
-
Some commentators labeled his speech unduly bellicose; others applauded his courage to define ominous realities.—
Robert Schmuhl,
Chicago Tribune,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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He’s replaced talk of sinister tech monopolies with embracing Big American Tech, largely refashioned as Big American AI.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
28 July 2025
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Initially, it was suspected that Brewster had been hit by a car, but X-rays revealed a far more sinister truth: Brewster had been shot, leaving him with a severely fractured front leg.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
-
Brad Schmitt Hey there, new neighbors, and welcome back to our intro to Nashville and all the wonderful things the city has to offer you.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
-
Petsch visited the annual celebration of all things fan culture to promote the The Strangers: Chapter 2, which picks up where Chapter 1 left off — with Petsch's Maya seemingly saved from the titular Strangers' demented attack, but with the menacing Scarecrow still hunting her down.—
Ryan Coleman Updated,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Then to be promoted to the summer tour party and, on top of that, trusted to perform in adult matches with a significant audience and unstoppable level of attention is astonishing.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Well, the bolt is an astonishing 515 miles (829 kilometers) long.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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Osbourne’s public rebirth with The Osbournes—the MTV reality series that ran from 2002 to 2005—transmuted his erratic nature and past struggles into a miraculous joke.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
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The original statue in Manila was brought to the Philippines in 1606 and faithful around the world have attributed miraculous healing properties to the statue.—
Emilie Takahashi,
Oc Register,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Apple’s iOS 26 is coming this fall, along with some amazing new features for your iPhone, many of which are powered by Apple Intelligence AI — alongside a new design language dubbed Liquid Glass.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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The shoes have amazing cushioning that provides serious support, which was ideal for long walks in Athens.—
Alexis Benveniste,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Focus on the surprising insight or counterintuitive result that makes people stop and think.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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Chris Paul is all smiles while surprising The Tonight Show audience with his Good Eat'n snacks, as Jimmy Fallon presents him with a new Clippers jersey.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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