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Ominous: meaning, definitions and examples

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ominous

 

[ ˈɒmɪnəs ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling

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

Synonyms

foreboding, menacing, sinister, threatening

Examples of usage

  • The dark clouds were ominous, signaling an approaching storm.
  • His ominous tone made everyone in the room uneasy.
Context #2 | Adjective

appearance

giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening in a way that suggests a dark outcome.

Synonyms

foreboding, menacing, sinister, threatening

Examples of usage

  • The old abandoned house had an ominous atmosphere.
  • The silence in the forest was broken only by the ominous rustling of leaves.

Translations

Translations of the word "ominous" in other languages:

🇵🇹 ameaçador

🇮🇳 अशुभ

🇩🇪 bedrohlich

🇮🇩 mengancam

🇺🇦 зловісний

🇵🇱 złowieszczy

🇯🇵 不気味な

🇫🇷 menaçant

🇪🇸 ominoso

🇹🇷 uğursuz

🇰🇷 불길한

🇸🇦 مشؤوم

🇨🇿 zlověstný

🇸🇰 zlovestný

🇨🇳 不祥的

🇸🇮 zlovešč

🇮🇸 ógnvekjandi

🇰🇿 қорқынышты

🇬🇪 მუქარიანი

🇦🇿 təhlükəli

🇲🇽 ominoso

Etymology

The word 'ominous' comes from the Latin word 'ominosus', which means full of foreboding. It has been used in English since the late 16th century to describe something that gives the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen. The word has retained its sense of foreboding and threat throughout history, being commonly used in literature and everyday speech to convey a sense of impending doom or danger.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #12,322, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.