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
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If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
-
Punched in the face That could explain the chain saw-wielding, the jumping up and down onstage, the manic baby-making and crusading for more spreading of sperm by smart people and the ominous Nazi-style salutes.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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By the end of the season, President George W. Bush arrives at the family’s doorstep, masquerading as Rumi’s friend while barely concealing his sinister intentions.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
2 June 2025
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Without giving away any spoilers, Andy turns out to be right about Laura, who has a sinister plot in store.—
Eric Andersson,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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My 10-year-old avocado grown from seed produced two wonderful fruits last year.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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She’s got a wonderful dynamic with Sydney Agudong, who plays Nani.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2025
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Make that the second scariest, as Claire’s antics bring another menacing character into their lives, when her dealer, Jackie (Domhnall Gleeson), shows up at Echo Valley looking for 10 grand in heroin.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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But now imagine going further still into the realm of the astonishing, and creating not just molecules that resemble naturally occurring ones, but their exact mirror images which are not naturally found anywhere on Earth.—
Eva Amsen,
JSTOR Daily,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Still, Maye was able to make a miraculous pass for the first down, throwing against the grain.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Here’s a look at his amazing performance. Notes . . .—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Among the biggest highlights of the match were: Paul’s amazing springboard moonsault through the announce table, Truth’s unforgettable return and Rhodes pinning Cena.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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The announcement, though abrupt, was not altogether surprising: City leaders have fretted the loss of Blue Diamond since the 1990s, and the cooperative has been steadily cutting costs in recent years.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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Keep in mind that a spicy square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could also lead to romantic developments or surprising revelations, spontaneously or behind the scenes.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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