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
Hallmarks of the best Halloween travel destinations usually entail a moody fall landscape, local legends that involve a tetchy ghost, vampire, or other variety of ominous being, and themed activities like pumpkin patches and cemetery tours.
—
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
This isn’t as ominous as, say, the GOP effort to steal the 2020 presidential election with absurd claims, bad lawyers and a mob attack on the Capitol.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
The more ominous uncertainty is how OpenAI will pay off its increasingly convoluted bets.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Adames had an ominous start to his Giants’ career.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
This isn’t as ominous as, say, the GOP effort to steal the 2020 presidential election with absurd claims, bad lawyers and a mob attack on the Capitol.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
The more ominous uncertainty is how OpenAI will pay off its increasingly convoluted bets.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Adames had an ominous start to his Giants’ career.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 10 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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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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These are bleak times, and as fans continue to mourn the club’s decline, West Ham’s hierarchy have shifted their focus to the January transfer window.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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As with many of Burton's best films, the real magic is the nuggets of human profundity hidden within the bleak imagery and whimsical comedy.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ominous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ominous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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