ominous

English

Etymology

From Latin ominosus (“full of foreboding”), from omen (“forbidden fruit, omen”), from os (“the mouth”) + -men.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒmɪnəs/
Audio (RP) (file)
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑmɪnəs/
Hyphenation: o‧mi‧nous

Adjective

ominous (comparative more ominous, superlative most ominous)

Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant.
Specifically, giving indication of a coming ill; being an evil omen
Synonyms: threatening, portentous, inauspicious
- California poll support for Jerry Brown's tax increases has ominous implications for U.S. taxpayers too Los Angeles Times Headline April 25, 2011
- 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎:
  The idea of a merchant selling both totems of pure evil and frozen yogurt (he calls it frogurt!) is amusing in itself, as is the idea that frogurt could be cursed, but it’s really the Shopkeeper’s quicksilver shift from ominous doomsaying to chipper salesmanship that sells the sequence.

Usage notes

Formerly used both in a favorable and unfavorable sense; now chiefly in the latter; foreboding or foreshadowing evil; inauspicious; as, an ominous dread.

Synonyms

foreboding
portentous
sinister

Derived terms

ominously
ominousness

Related terms

omen
abomination

Collocations

with nouns

ominous sign
ominous silence
ominous warning
ominous cloud
ominous note
ominous sound
ominous shadow
ominous threat
ominous music
ominous tone
ominous implication
ominous message
ominous presence
ominous development
ominous voice
ominous portent
ominous turn
ominous sky
ominous figure
ominous dream
ominous event
ominous trend
ominous change
ominous day
ominous beginning
ominous growl
ominous cry
ominous signal
ominous pattern

Translations

of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen

Bulgarian: зловещ (bg) (zlovešt), злокобен (bg) (zlokoben)
Catalan: ominós (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 不祥 (zh) (bùxiáng)
Danish: varslende
Dutch: onheilspellend (nl)
Esperanto: omena (eo)
Finnish: enteellinen (fi)
French: sinistre (fr), menaçant (fr)
Georgian: ავბედი (avbedi)
German: ominös (de), ahnungsvoll, schicksalschwer, unheilschwanger
Hungarian: ominózus
Italian: predittivo (it) m
Japanese: 不吉 (ja) (ふきつ, fukitsu)
Macedonian: злокобен (zlokoben)
Maori: tamaki
Portuguese: ominoso (pt), agourento (pt) m
Romanian: sinistru (ro), prevestitor (ro)
Russian: предвеща́ющий (ru) (predveščájuščij)
Spanish: ominoso (es), siniestro (es)
Swedish: ominös (sv), olycksbådande (sv), illavarslande (sv)
Telugu: అరిష్ట సూచకమైన (ariṣṭa sūcakamaina)
Ukrainian: прові́сницький (provísnycʹkyj), проро́чий (proróčyj)

giving indication of a coming ill

Armenian: չարագուշակ (hy) (čʿaragušak)
Catalan: ominós (ca)
Czech: zlověstný
Danish: ildevarslende, uheldsvanger
Dutch: onheilspellend (nl)
Estonian: kurjakuulutav, pahaendeline
Finnish: pahaenteinen (fi), uhkaava (fi)
French: de mauvais augure
Georgian: ავბედი (avbedi)
German: unheilsschwanger, verhängnisvoll, unheilvoll (de), unheilbringend
Greek:
Ancient: ἀπαίσιος (apaísios)
Hungarian: baljós (hu), baljóslatú (hu)
Italian: malaugurante, infausto (it) m, nefasto (it) m
Latin: dīrus
Macedonian: злокобен (zlokoben)
Maori: tamaki
Polish: złowróżbny (pl), złowieszczy (pl)
Portuguese: agourento (pt) m, ominoso (pt) m
Romanian: fatidic (ro), de rău augur
Russian: злове́щий (ru) (zlovéščij)
Spanish: ominoso (es), agorero (es)
Swedish: illavarslande (sv), olycksbådande (sv)
Telugu: అశుభసూచకమైన (aśubhasūcakamaina)
Turkish: uğursuz (tr), meşum (tr), kara (tr)
Ukrainian: злові́щий (zlovíščyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: (2) ^{(please verify)} de mauvais augure
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} mencekam (id) , ^{(please verify)} gelagat buruk (id)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} ziyandar (ku) (1), ^{(please verify)} bêyom (ku) (2), ^{(please verify)} bêxêr (ku) (2), ^{(please verify)} bêoxir (ku) (2)
Latin: ^{(please verify)} ominosus

Anagrams

suimono