Synonyms for

Ominous

Verb / ˈɑ:mʌnʌs / Another word for ominous — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.

Synonyms & similar words

baleful forbidding minacious ill minatory menacing inauspicious threatening sinister threatening foreboding malignant sinister portentous unpropitious unlucky doom-laden fateful dire baleful menacing dangerous grim dreadful dark gloomy melancholy sad depressing

Synonyms by register

Formal

foreboding portentous premonitory

Informal

unlucky bad sign creepy

Literary

baleful sinister menacing

Antonyms

promising auspicious hopeful encouraging favorable propitious

Common collocations

  • ominous signs
  • ominous feeling
  • ominous silence
  • ominous cloud
  • ominous tone
  • ominous development
  • ominous prediction

Word family

noun omen
adjective ominous
adverb ominously

Usage note

Ominous suggests a future bad event, often with a sense of unease or dread. It is generally used in a negative context.

Example sentences

  1. The teacher's ominous tone made the students nervous.
  2. The dark alley had an ominous feeling to it.
  3. The black cat crossing our path is an ominous sign.
  4. The silence in the house was ominous.
  5. The threatening clouds were ominous of a storm.

Quotes

  • The future looked ominous and uncertain.
  • The sky was dark and ominous, as if a storm was coming.
  • The atmosphere in the room was ominous, and no one spoke.

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