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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Recent Examples of portentous
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
After the game, Dončić warmly greeted his former teammates but also took a few portentous looks at the Mavericks bench during the night.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
With its whisper-thin characters, vague narrative, and acres of portentous poetry about sound, Rabbit Trap feels somehow both underwritten and overwritten.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Starting with his film-school projects in the early 1970s, David Cronenberg hit the ground running with projects that tucked sharp social critiques into ominously portentous narratives.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
After the game, Dončić warmly greeted his former teammates but also took a few portentous looks at the Mavericks bench during the night.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
With its whisper-thin characters, vague narrative, and acres of portentous poetry about sound, Rabbit Trap feels somehow both underwritten and overwritten.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2025
Advertisement Starting with his film-school projects in the early 1970s, David Cronenberg hit the ground running with projects that tucked sharp social critiques into ominously portentous narratives.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2025
-
Back to battle once again for their lives and a giant cash prize, the wordless preview sees contestants facing a series of high-stakes situations, involving guns, fists and an ominous giant gumball machine.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
With the two men mismatched in temperament and direction, Diller was gone in a year and a half—fleeing one sinister Davis (Martin) for the arms of another, equally sinister one (Marvin), who controlled Twentieth Century Fox.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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Though it was written around the time of Malibu’s Woolsey fire, the 14-minute long dirge that encompasses flames in Malibu and a cougar that roams the hills took on a new and sinister meaning in the aftermath of the more recent fires.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Colombia’s coastal cities are famous for their cuisine, but don’t overlook their wonderful street foods.—
Cat Sposato,
AFAR Media,
15 May 2025
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And now more people can experience this wonderful adventure on Netflix starting May 15, 2025.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
17 May 2025
-
The movie itself is something of a trip; everything feels coated in a faint, menacing sheen of unreality, as if a slasher movie were just a wild twist or two away.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
This gem detailing the ancient underground aqueducts of Rome gives both a visual and historical account of man’s insatiable appetite to overcome nature and create astonishing engineering marvels to uplift the human condition.—
Smithsonian magazine,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 May 2025
-
Game two was astonishing, and a full reckoning of the faults that existed in the defending champs’ armor.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Revival — Premieres Thursday, June 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2025
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That Jia could make anything out of that flotsam and jetsam is astonishing, but his ability to not only recreate those time frames but craft all of it into a woozy, free-floating memory piece is miraculous.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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With some of the most history, art, and culture in the world packed into this small country, as well as amazing food and wine, this is a culture vulture’s paradise.—
Kathleen Peddicord,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
Dominic Solanke works exceptionally hard but 15 goals in 42 appearances is not an amazing return from their club-record £65m striker.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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His comments came shortly after surprising fans with the announcement of their sixth child in 2023.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
13 May 2025
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If the ballroom dancing was unexpected, the evening’s entertainment in Clamecy was even more surprising.—
Rachel Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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