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 wonderful
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
The imposing gothic details of Victor’s castle-laboratory—a portentous warrior-angel statue that comes to life, a screaming Medusa rondel carved in stone—vibrate with gloomy baroque majesty.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Call it cinema’s most portentous let.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Another is about death itself and the portentous ride to the other side.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Other portentous allegories ensue.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Call it cinema’s most portentous let.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Another is about death itself and the portentous ride to the other side.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Other portentous allegories ensue.
—Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portentous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portentous
Adjective
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But for now, his parting words were ominous.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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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
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Playing a thinly disguised version of himself, Reynolds is, as Schneeberger and Neibaur point out, funny, exasperating, and moving, and Rifkin’s impeccable tailoring of the role to fit his star gives Reynolds a wonderful summation with which to end his career.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2026
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Welcome to the wonderful world of better coffee.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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With the Games heading to France in 2030, there is work underway to include this astonishing sport into the schedule, but Billy says the speed skiing community is also content with its current position.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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To belittle the journalist asking about these claims in such sexist terms is astonishing.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Barring a miraculous post-All-Star break turnaround, Milwaukee appears unlikely to reach the postseason.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Junior’s miraculous shot saved his own life.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One amazing season gets him almost 40% of the vote.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Duffers, our wonderful, amazing creators, wanted to leave everybody with this level of optimism that the show has always given everyone.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There is one surprising tool that can avoid all the sneezing and cleanup that this job usually entails.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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The style of proof that the LLMs came up with was particularly surprising, Abouzaid says.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portentous. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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