as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
this many problems so early in the project is a most inauspicious sign
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Recent Examples of inauspicious
Rambunctious from the start, he was fired from Romper Room for slapping the camera, an inauspicious show-business entrée if ever there were one.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Restaurant Bouley was opened in 1987, when David was 34, three inauspicious weeks before the October stock market crash that would doom so many eating places in New York City.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2025
At that time in 2020, the Nighthawks were amid an inauspicious football genesis.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Potter, who was promoted in the offseason, had an inauspicious start to the 2025 campaign, a 34-7 season-opening loss to South Florida.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inauspicious
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Restaurant Bouley was opened in 1987, when David was 34, three inauspicious weeks before the October stock market crash that would doom so many eating places in New York City.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 23 Nov. 2025
At that time in 2020, the Nighthawks were amid an inauspicious football genesis.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Potter, who was promoted in the offseason, had an inauspicious start to the 2025 campaign, a 34-7 season-opening loss to South Florida.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inauspicious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inauspicious
Adjective
-
But for now, his parting words were ominous.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The ominous silence is more evidence of a city mired in political intrigue with too little transparency.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While some post harmless content such as gym routines and self-improvement advice, other accounts are more sinister.—
Ivana Scatola,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
And then there's Reinhardt's sinister robot sidekick Maximilian, a silent, malevolent presence who has no qualms about slicing up humans with his Swiss Army Knife-esque collection of torture devices.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Seattle’s home crowd let out a menacing roar.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But for an unwilling or unprepared person immersed in this place, these attributes can become much more menacing.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inauspicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inauspicious. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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