as in sinister
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
that comment about downsizing from the company president sounded ominous
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Recent Examples of ominous
There’s an ominous final shot of Kayleigh, the Rat who assaulted Ciri in the previous episode, looking at a scroll that promises a fat bounty for her capture.
—
Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The day seemed over hung by an unnatural darkness, as if some thing large and ominous was hovering over head.
—Joel M. Vance, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
Kidd opted to play Russell sparingly off the bench in his first two regular season contests after an ominous preseason run, starting 6-foot-10 rookie forward Cooper Flagg at the point instead.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Though conventional in its concept (family moves into house, spirits possess family, paranormal investigators exorcize spirits), the movie's significance comes from its execution, which electrified audiences with ominous clapping hands and expert control of tension.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The day seemed over hung by an unnatural darkness, as if some thing large and ominous was hovering over head.
—Joel M. Vance, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
Kidd opted to play Russell sparingly off the bench in his first two regular season contests after an ominous preseason run, starting 6-foot-10 rookie forward Cooper Flagg at the point instead.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Though conventional in its concept (family moves into house, spirits possess family, paranormal investigators exorcize spirits), the movie's significance comes from its execution, which electrified audiences with ominous clapping hands and expert control of tension.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ominous
Adjective
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Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Candyman, the Candyman franchise (1992–1999; 2021) Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) finds out that adoration and horror don't mix when she is faced with the attachment of the sinister Candyman (Tony Todd) in the 1992 film classic.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the action scenes never seem to galvanize, and somewhere along the line the predator, once a ruthless, unstoppable killing machine, has simply lost its menacing mojo.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
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Fanning knows exactly to add a slightly Pollyanna-ish aura to her opportunistic yet optimistic synthetic, as well as a cold, menacing vibe when playing her evil synth twin.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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While the eradication of our species might sound like a bleak ending note, Lanthimos tells EW that audiences are divided on whether the film presents a hopeful or pessimistic view of the future.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Duffy painted a bleak scene at airports if the shutdown is not ended before Thanksgiving travel.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ominous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ominous. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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