portentous

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Of momentous or ominous significance.
Ominously prophetic.
Puffed up with vanity.

Pronunciation

/pɔː(ɹ)ˈtɛntəs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-portentous.wav /pɔrˈtɛn(t)əs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-portentous.wav

Word forms

portentous more portentous most portentous

Etymology

Of multiple origins: * Borrowed from Latin portentōsus, from portentus (“predicted”) + -ōsus. Compare earlier portentuous (via Middle English from Latin portentuōsus). By surface analysis, portent + -ous. * Borrowed from French portentueux

Synonyms

fateful prophetic significant ominous momentous big central consequential critical crucial epochful essential extraordinary fatefraught fatesome heavy pivotal high on the totem pole historic innegligible key life-or-death meaningful necessary noted noticeable observable outstanding paramount pertinent relevant remarkable salient unignorable valuable vital weighty foreshadowing predictive premonitory prognosticatory augurous baleful bodeful boding dire disastrous divine fatal foreboding ill-boding ill-fated ill-omened ill-starred inauspicate inauspicious nefastous omenic brooding portentous

Antonyms

humble insignificant trivial unremarkable

Related words

portent augury foreboding ominous pretentious

Derived words

portentously portentousness unportentous

Translations

Bulgarian: важничещ Bulgarian: надут Catalan: portentós German: hochtrabend German: wichtigtuerisch German: eitel Norwegian Bokmål: høyttravende Norwegian Bokmål: svulstig Norwegian Bokmål: oppstyltet

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

Back to search All on P Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary