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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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
Another is about death itself and the portentous ride to the other side.
—
Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Other portentous allegories ensue.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
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
In the 1990s, public policy, now in the form of environmental policy, reemerged as the impetus for perhaps the most portentous chapter of lithium power.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Other portentous allegories ensue.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
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
In the 1990s, public policy, now in the form of environmental policy, reemerged as the impetus for perhaps the most portentous chapter of lithium power.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
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Several stories account for the ominous name of the stark, forbidding mountains.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The film that introduced us to both Anya Taylor-Joy and the concept of pilgrim horror, The Witch flew onto the big screen like a sinister crow during a frigid New England winter.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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To prevent this sinister tax, the White House should announce a set of retaliation measures.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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She's been gone for over 20 years, and so to win this for a soap opera, playing a villain, is really wonderful.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
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Some, like the two headlining Christie’s upcoming Rare Watches auction in Geneva, have wonderful horological anomalies that set them apart from more run-of-the-mill references.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For bones, spirits, and some menacing dolls, here’s where to go for a fright.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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But an uninspired and shallow story – which includes a rape scene demanded by the studio – hampers his attempts to entice us with a chilling and menacing tone.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Everything about it pleases me, from the correctness of all the enclitic marks upward, to the astonishing lambency of the whole.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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The astonishing young actor known as Master Betty was the prototype of the species.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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They were envisioned and commissioned by Narcissa Niblack Thorne in the 1930s, and are nearly miraculous to behold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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After reciting poetry, the same situation may appear differently, although nothing has changed except our perception, creating a space where the mystical, magical, or miraculous coexist, crafting a silver lining into the dark clouds of misfortune.—
K.J.S. “Sunny” Anand,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Dan Aykroyd's amazing cameo as the iconic Ray Stantz from Ghostbusters is a treat to watch.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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This isn’t the first time a homeowner has shared an amazing discovery during a renovation.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What’s more surprising is that a tiny amount of activity could have a noticeable effect, according to a study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that included more than 13,000 women with an average age of 72.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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The impact on their relationship hasn’t been dramatic, but the emotional response from strangers has been surprising.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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