What does “ominous” mean?
- 1
adjectivesuggesting that something bad is going to happen
There was an ominous silence after the announcement.
Ominous at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈɑmənəs/ · AH-muh-nus
How to use “ominous” correctly
It comes from “omen”, a sign of the future, but “ominous” is always negative.
Common phrases with “ominous”
- an ominous sign
- ominous clouds
- ominously quiet
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- threatening
- menacing
- foreboding
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- promising
- auspicious
Word family
- ominously
- omen
“ominous” is on these word lists
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