The meaning of OMINOUS is being or exhibiting an omen : portentous; especially : foreboding or foreshadowing evil, misfortune, or calamity : inauspicious. How to use ominous in a sentence.

The ominous feature which caused concern was the fall in prices, a sudden change from the dominance of buyers to that of sellers.

OMINOUS definition: portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious. See examples of ominous used in a sentence.

If you describe something as ominous, you mean that it worries you because it makes you think that something unpleasant is going to happen. There was an ominous silence at the other end …

Definition of ominous adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. Menacing; threatening: ominous black clouds; ominous rumblings of discontent. 2. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

Definition of ominous. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.

Nov 30, 2025 · Formerly used both in a favorable and unfavorable sense; now chiefly in the latter; foreboding or foreshadowing evil; inauspicious; as, an ominous dread.

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective ominous, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Ominous, portentous, threatening, menacing, fateful are adjectives describing that which forebodes a serious, significant, and often harmful outcome. Ominous, derived from omen "a …