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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portentous
But unlike the relative low-budget kicks of his previous two films, Glass has lots of portentous self-importance that the movie never quite earns.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
The big and portentous orchestrations of John Williams play right through both exposition and action scenes like oppressive Musak.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
After reams of the post-liberals’ portentous obscurities, Lefebvre’s cutting clarity comes as a relief.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
The first is to speak in the hushed, portentous tones that have signified Serious Blockbusters for decades.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024
The big and portentous orchestrations of John Williams play right through both exposition and action scenes like oppressive Musak.
—John H. Dorr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2024
After reams of the post-liberals’ portentous obscurities, Lefebvre’s cutting clarity comes as a relief.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
The first is to speak in the hushed, portentous tones that have signified Serious Blockbusters for decades.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
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Although the change sounds ominous, the option only worked on three devices: the 4th generation Echo Dot, the Echo Show 10 and the Echo Show 15.—
Andrew Torgan,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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The ominous outlook sent FedEx shares down nearly 10 percent in Friday morning trading.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When powered on, the TV reveals four children apparently trapped inside and held captive by sinister forces.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
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The new Rhino release amplifies the darkness, letting every sinister detail seethe to the surface.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Embracing different cultures: There is plenty of wonderful Mexican culture depicted throughout the film, from cooking traditional dishes to the vibrant atmosphere.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
28 Mar. 2025
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Cherish these moments and know that your efforts to preserve their voices are a wonderful tribute to your relationships.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Bell, a Ritchie regular, offers an uncouth but equally menacing counterpoint to Brosnan, a mobster who isn’t pretending that he’s crawled out of the muck.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
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The rapper’s latest includes wistful trap anthems ruminating on his trials and tribulations, as well as menacing drill tracks and more melodic songs tapping into his romantic side to cater to his female fan base — all of which were run by Durk’s legal team before heading to streaming services.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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An astonishing, loopy and very true World War II story about Great Britain tricking Germany into believing false invasion plans has been the source material for non-fiction books and movies dramas.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
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This was a 90% increase over the 9.9 million viewers who tuned in for the 2023 final and an astonishing 288% jump from 2022.—
Jenn Nelson,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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One traffic violation on a Kansas highway led to the miraculous rescue of a 6-year-old girl who had been kidnapped.—
Leah Sarnoff,
ABC News,
25 Mar. 2025
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Colorado State’s Jalen Lake hit a miraculous triple over high hands in similar circumstances.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Keep shopping for even more amazing discounts on affordable luxury bags below.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Mar. 2025
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To push attendance higher and garner more interest MLR needs to deliver an amazing product and Americans need to win.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That is not surprising, as sorting through differences takes consistent effort over time and is one of the more difficult areas.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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That’s precisely where the most surprising discoveries are made and the greatest satisfaction is derived.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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