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
Just as ominous, one of those hunters is a prince who is smitten by a swan princess named Odette.
—
David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
And Geoff Zanelli’s score ranges effectively from ominous electronica to fun orchestral bombast.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
The scene on Tuesday blended the ominous and the everyday.
—New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The game had moments of testy exchanges between the clubs, the Fire in their striking red uniforms and the Law in ominous black tops.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ominous
David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026
And Geoff Zanelli’s score ranges effectively from ominous electronica to fun orchestral bombast.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
The scene on Tuesday blended the ominous and the everyday.
—New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The game had moments of testy exchanges between the clubs, the Fire in their striking red uniforms and the Law in ominous black tops.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ominous
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
-
That grandiosity simmers down into terrifying chase soundtracks and menacing hunter's heartbeats as the movie continues, but the after-image of those glorious strings lingers through the rest of the franchise.—
Alex Galbraith,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Feb. 2026
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House music thumped in the background like the heartbeat of a menacing jungle cat.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The dating scene is bleak, or at least increasingly difficult to navigate.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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But none of them have felt as bleak or despairing as Israeli director Anat Even’s scathing cinematic essay, Collapse (Effondrement).—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ominous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ominous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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