ill-boding

adjective

ˈil-ˈbō-diŋ How to pronounce ill-boding (audio)
Definition of ill-bodingnext
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come in an ill-boding turn of events, the government began rounding up political dissidents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-boding
  1. ominous
  2. sinister
  3. menacing
Adjective
  • The film fairly vibrates with ominous tension even in scenes in which seemingly nothing happens.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The horror movie takes place in Vision’s mind-mansion, which Butcherbird has filled with red light, dark shadows, and ominous imagery.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • Feathers McGraw, the sinister penguin villain from the Wallace & Gromit films, also makes a Hitchcockian cameo.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Other examples are more sinister—for instance, the far-right takeover of Croatian Wikipedia, or efforts by corporations to launder their images.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • This establishment of this family-friendly version of Castle Rock led to Pumpkinhead 2’s final scene, which teases the arrival of a menacing, giggly presence from Afraid of Clowns.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And Dastmalchian, who portrays Bison with an emphasis on sniveling evil, struggles to quietly undercut the character’s cartoonishly menacing getup.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of menacing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-beings
ill-boding
ill-bred
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-boding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-boding. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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