as in sinister
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
that comment about downsizing from the company president sounded ominous
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ominous
Ideally, some of those over-the-top speeches are going to go viral and shouldn’t be rushed offstage with an ominous ticking clock— threatening to withdraw a charitable donation is going to dampen the enthusiasm somewhat.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
On the other, America is more vulnerable to spectacular, devastating acts of mass violence than any of its peers, and the ominous threat of politically motivated violence is highly disturbing.
—John J. Donohue, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
The Andante cantabile offers benevolence tinged with shadow, its harmonies turning suddenly ominous.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
As the swells grew and the troughs sunk deeper, an ominous feeling settled upon us.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
On the other, America is more vulnerable to spectacular, devastating acts of mass violence than any of its peers, and the ominous threat of politically motivated violence is highly disturbing.
—John J. Donohue, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
The Andante cantabile offers benevolence tinged with shadow, its harmonies turning suddenly ominous.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025
As the swells grew and the troughs sunk deeper, an ominous feeling settled upon us.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ominous
Adjective
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Whatever, Dever quickly recanted her earlier precise testimony to the FBI about the sinister doings by those two dodgy cops behind Karen Read’s SUV.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Haunted Carwash was the sinister concoction of spooky enthusiasts Long Vo and Veronica Young of Huntington Beach.—
Charlie Vargas,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For instance, instead of the menacing roars popularized by Jurassic Park, the instruments often produce gentler conversation sounds, suggesting a social, communicative side to these animals.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
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From there, the story is too exciting to reveal, except to say that someone presumed dead makes a menacing appearance.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, there are good reasons to question NASA's long-term plans for the Artemis lunar program—the woeful cost of the Space Launch System rocket, the complexity of new commercial landers, and a bleak budget outlook.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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That's rather bleak, while Charlie Sheen's life has just been bonkers.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ominous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ominous. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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