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Ominous didn't always mean that something bad was about to happen. If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "being a sign of events to come"—whether good or bad. It ultimately comes from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen. Today, however, ominous suggests a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms portentous and fateful are used similarly, but ominous is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming quality that foreshadows evil or disaster. So when something wicked this way comes, count on ominous to deliver the news aforehand.
Examples of ominous in a Sentence
Geoffrey Wheatcroft, Atlantic, March 2001
While politicians and multinational corporations extol the virtues of NAFTA … the ominous curtain is already up in a six-mile section at the border crossing at Mexicali …
—Leslie Marmon Silko, Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit, 1996
Fighting against sensations that sought to claim him, he moved nervously and the note in his hand rattled with a dry and ominous whisper.
—Richard Wright, Rite of Passage, 1994
Arranged in two long and ominous rows, the branding irons dangled from the ceiling in the center of the room, suggesting some sort of fence or jail …
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, May 1993
an ominous threat of war
He spoke in ominous tones.
Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025
The trailer is pretty ominous, hinting at the many disruptions to the relative peace at the Jackson compound that are to come in Season 2.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Prior to the hearing, the committee’s official Twitter account posted a movie trailer-like video set to ominous music attempting to tie the mayors and their cities’ policies to violent crime and disorder.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
The ominous question about the prospect of war between Egypt and Israel has crept into many conversations in the country.
—Sarah El Sirgany, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ominous
Cite this Entry
“Ominous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ominous. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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ominous
adjective
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