as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the movie relies too much on sinister background music to create the suspense that the plot sorely lacks
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Recent Examples of sinister
The banal village tunes that Mahler altered into sinister mock vulgarities—did these not recall the raffish klezmer bands, the wandering musicians who played at shtetl weddings?
—
David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit, she is convinced is trying to take her baby.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
After receiving a diagnosis of both ADHD and autism as an adult, Grimes has come to view the widespread pop psychology shared across social media as increasingly sinister.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
The three-minute video, complete with action movie shots and sinister music, is terrifying.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinister
David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit, she is convinced is trying to take her baby.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
After receiving a diagnosis of both ADHD and autism as an adult, Grimes has come to view the widespread pop psychology shared across social media as increasingly sinister.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025
The three-minute video, complete with action movie shots and sinister music, is terrifying.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sinister
Cite this Entry
“Sinister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinister. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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