Meaning & use

ominously

adverb·Advanced

In a manner that suggests something bad or threatening is about to happen.

See it in a sentence

The sky darkened ominously just before the storm rolled in.

The engine light blinked ominously as we drove further from town.

A note on using this word

Ominously typically modifies verbs of appearance or sound, describing signs or warnings rather than actions themselves.

Words with a similar meaning

threateninglymenacingly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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