ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ominous

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɑmənəs// UK //ˈɒmɪnəs// omi·nous

adj. suggesting that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen in the future. It describes a feeling or sign that makes you feel worried or nervous.

adj. giving the impression that something unpleasant or threatening is about to occur. Often used to describe sensory details like sounds, clouds, or silence that precede a negative event.


SIMPLE

The dark, heavy clouds looked very ominous.

CONTEXTUAL

There was an ominous silence in the house when I realized the front door was wide open.

COMPLEX

The sudden drop in the stock market served as an ominous warning of the economic recession that would soon grip the entire nation.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin ōminōsus (“full of foreboding”), from ōmen (“forbidden fruit, omen”), from Old Latin osmen, of uncertain origin, with many origins proposed (see ōmen).

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after linking verbs like 'look', 'sound', or 'feel'.

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