1
2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective portentous differ from other similar words?

The words fateful and ominous are common synonyms of portentous. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

When is it sensible to use fateful instead of portentous?

In some situations, the words fateful and portentous are roughly equivalent. However, fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

When can ominous be used instead of portentous?

The words ominous and portentous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
  • In a small 18th-century English village, locals hear ominous barking.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 22 May 2025
  • There’s a shift in the second to last episode when Michaela suddenly becomes not ridiculous or ominous, but self-aware and human and someone who very clearly sees what a fraud her life has been.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 22 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
  • 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
  • Its deep, shiny green foliage is a wonderful complement to the perfectly peachy hue of each rose.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2025
  • Colombia’s coastal cities are famous for their cuisine, but don’t overlook their wonderful street foods.
    Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 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
  • After 23 years and an astonishing 4,953 episodes, the show reaches its finale Friday as the sports media industry’s most prolific on-air talent incubator.
    Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • If the ballroom dancing was unexpected, the evening’s entertainment in Clamecy was even more surprising.
    Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025
  • The fact that Israel carried out the F-35s first combat mission is hardly surprising.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on portentous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!