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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wonderful
causing wonder or astonishment
in 1969 people regarded the first landing on the moon as a truly portentous event
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portentous
The imposing gothic details of Victor’s castle-laboratory—a portentous warrior-angel statue that comes to life, a screaming Medusa rondel carved in stone—vibrate with gloomy baroque majesty.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Call it cinema’s most portentous let.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Call it cinema’s most portentous let.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The image finds the actors during an ominous twilight hour somewhere in coastal Taiwan.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Thankfully, the wonderful leaders of our great state of Florida have corrected this problem.—
Krys Fluker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Spring is a wonderful time of year to visit, before the crowds descend for the summer months.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Redfellow wealth is old money — which in the age of the Epstein files is starting to acquire a more sinister aura than ever.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Often lush, but occasionally sinister, this is a France of rustic auberges rather than refined arrondissements.—
Rob Crossan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mirabilis, being Latin for astonishing.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
But from the jaws of defeat, Team USA pulled off an astonishing Olympic comeback, sending the players leaving Italy with gold medals swinging around their necks.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That grandiosity simmers down into terrifying chase soundtracks and menacing hunter's heartbeats as the movie continues, but the after-image of those glorious strings lingers through the rest of the franchise.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
-
House music thumped in the background like the heartbeat of a menacing jungle cat.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And Timmons had been diagnosed with cancer a decade earlier, so his miraculous recovery from seeming to be at death’s door doesn’t quite ring true.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The very fact that Macclesfield as a club is even in business is nothing short of miraculous given the financial hardship the 6th-tier club in North-West England has faced over the years.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Great Britain had to win to stay alive for the medal round, and won on an amazing throw by skip Rebecca Morrison, who banked her stone off a wide blocking stone and spun it right.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
-
So many comedians would have been amazing hosting that show.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lunar rocks and soil offered novel insights into the moon’s origin and composition, and more recent analysis of previously untouched Apollo samples, as well as samples retrieved by robotic missions, revealed the surprising discovery of water trapped in rocks thought to be bone-dry.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The daytime-only pool menu offers its own cocktail list (the spicy marg was a surprising standout), and a super-casual food menu with options like fish tacos, a wagyu burger, and chicken tenders.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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