— ominously , adv. — ominousness , n.
/om"euh neuhs/ , adj.
1. portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious: an ominous bank of dark clouds.
2. having the significance of an omen.
[ 1580-90; ominosus portentous, equiv. to omin- (s. of omen ) OMEN + -osus -OUS ]
Syn . OMINOUS, PORTENTOUS, THREATENING, MENACING, FATEFUL are adjectives describing that which forebodes a serious, significant, and often harmful outcome. OMINOUS, derived from omen "a predictor of outcomes," usually suggests evil or damaging eventualities: ominous storm clouds; an ominous silence. PORTENTOUS, although it may suggest evil results, often stresses a momentous or very important outcome: a portentous moment in history; a portentous escalation of hostilities.
THREATENING may suggest calamity or great harm but sometimes mere unpleasantness: a threatening rumble from the volcano; A threatening look from his brother caused him to quickly change the subject. MENACING always suggests serious damage as an outcome: a disease menacing the entire population; He advanced with a menacing swagger. FATEFUL most often stresses the great or decisive importance of what it describes: a fateful encounter between two future leaders; a fateful day that changed our world.