Synonyms of sinister

sinister

adjective

ˈsi-nə-stər 

as in ominous

being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come

the movie relies too much on sinister background music to create the suspense that the plot sorely lacks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ominous
• menacing
• threatening
• bleak
• dark
• darkening
• foreboding
• somber
• murky
• portentous
• lonely
• baleful
• minatory
• dire
• black
• unfortunate
• inauspicious
• direful
• desolate
• depressing
• depressive
• ill
• gray
• doomy
• ill-boding
• morbid
• cold
• unfavorable
• dim
• morose
• lugubrious
• gloomy
• saturnine
• sullen
• sepulchral
• lonesome
• cheerless
• elegiac
• funereal
• discouraging
• troubled
• dismal
• evil
• dreary
• disconsolate
• glum
• forlorn
• malignant
• unpropitious
• hopeless
• chill
• cloudy
• drear
• disheartening
• unpromising
• miserable
• malign
• comfortless
• plutonian
• tenebrous
• godforsaken
• wretched
• unlucky
• dreich
• Cimmerian
• sunless
• tenebrific
• ill-fated
• ill-starred
• star-crossed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• favorable
• benign
• bright
• promising
• golden
• hopeful
• encouraging
• unthreatening
• prosperous
• auspicious
• propitious
• heartening

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sinister different from other adjectives like it?

The words baleful and malign are common synonyms of sinister. While all three words mean "seriously threatening evil or disaster," sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer.

a sinister aura haunts the place

When is it sensible to use baleful instead of sinister?

The synonyms baleful and sinister are sometimes interchangeable, but baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly.

exerting a corrupt and baleful influence

When would malign be a good substitute for sinister?

The words malign and sinister are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful.

the malign effects of racism

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sinister

Like the initial story, Millie’s employers (Dunst and Kelly portray the spouses) are harboring a dark, sinister secret. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

As Digital Digging's Henk Van Ess noted, however, this tool also opens the door for more sinister uses. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026

There's nothing like a great mystery about an unknown sinister force to really grab your interest and pull you in. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Nevertheless, Lowe represented the Fabians as a deeply sinister fifth column because their logo was once a wolf in sheep’s clothing. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026

Phrases Containing sinister

• bar sinister