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Inauspicious Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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inauspicious

in-aus-pi-cious

🇺🇸 /ˌɪˌnaʊˈspɪʃɪs/ · 🇬🇧 /ɪnɔːspˈɪʃəs/

Definition

Context #1 | Adjective

unlucky

Not conducive to success; unpromising; unlucky.

Synonyms

unlucky, unpromising, unpropitious.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
inauspicious

Used to describe something that suggests bad luck or an unpromising event. Often formal or literary.

  • The old house had an inauspicious appearance, with broken windows and overgrown weeds.
  • Their first meeting was rather inauspicious, filled with awkward silences.
unlucky

Commonly used in everyday conversation to describe situations or events that result from bad luck.

  • It was unlucky that it rained on the day of our picnic.
  • He seemed to be unlucky in love, with each relationship ending quickly.
unpromising

Used to indicate that something seems unlikely to be successful or beneficial. Often used in a business or project context.

  • The project seemed unpromising, but we decided to give it a try.
  • She took an unpromising start and turned it into a winning strategy.
unpropitious

A formal or literary term used to describe conditions or times that are not favorable or likely to lead to success.

  • The weather was unpropitious for sailing, with strong winds and dark clouds.
  • The investor decided to wait for a more propitious moment, as the current market conditions were unpropitious.

Examples of usage

  • The inauspicious weather forecast threatened to ruin our outdoor picnic.
  • The team's inauspicious start to the season made fans worried about their chances of winning.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Quick facts about “inauspicious”

Inauspicious is a 4-syllable adjective (in-aus-pi-cious). It is pronounced /ˌɪˌnaʊˈspɪʃɪs/ in American English and /ɪnɔːspˈɪʃəs/ in British English. On finesentence.com it has 1 meaning, 3 synonyms, and translations into 21 languages. It ranks #27,956 among the most common English words.

Did you know?

“inauspicious” in cultural reference

  • In many cultures, starting a new venture on a Friday the 13th is considered inauspicious.
  • Chinese culture associates certain numbers, like 4, with inauspicious meanings due to their phonetic resemblance to words for death.

“inauspicious” in literature

  • In Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', the character's ill-fated love is often seen as inauspicious right from the start.
  • In novels, a storm brewing or birds acting strangely can foreshadow inauspicious events, signaling trouble or misfortune.

“inauspicious” in astrology

  • In astrology, inauspicious planetary alignments can indicate periods of difficulty or challenge for individuals.
  • Certain horoscopes may label particular days as inauspicious for making big decisions or starting important projects.

“inauspicious” in psychology

  • People tend to remember inauspicious events more vividly than positive ones, influencing their outlook on future situations.
  • Cognitive biases can lead individuals to perceive neutral events as inauspicious based on previous negative experiences.

Origin of 'inauspicious'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Latin 'inauspicious', which combines 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'auspicium', meaning 'omen'.
  • Originally, 'auspicium' referred to interpreting the will of the gods, particularly through bird observation in ancient Rome.

The word 'inauspicious' originated from the Latin word 'inauspiciōsus', which means 'unfavorable'. It was first used in the mid 17th century. The prefix 'in-' denotes negation or absence, while 'auspicious' refers to something that is favorable or fortunate. Therefore, 'inauspicious' signifies the opposite - something that is not favorable or lucky.

Rhymes

Inauspicious rhymes with aloysius.

See all rhymes →

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #27,956, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.