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sinister

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˈsɪnɪstər/ · UK /ˈsɪnɪstə/

sinister means: Seeming evil or suggesting that something harmful may happen.

adjective

THREATENINGB2

Seeming evil or suggesting that something harmful may happen.

  • He gave me a sinister smile.
  • There was something sinister about the empty house.
  • Police uncovered a sinister plot.

Similar words: menacing, threatening, evil

Opposites: harmless

Common phrases: sinister smile, sinister figure, sinister motives

BAD OMENC2

Suggesting bad luck or an unhappy result.

  • They took the eclipse as a sinister omen.
  • The sudden silence seemed a sinister sign.
  • The poet describes the dream as sinister.

Similar words: ill-omened, unlucky, inauspicious

Opposites: auspicious

Common phrases: sinister omen, sinister sign

Questions about sinister

What does sinister mean?

Seeming evil or suggesting that something harmful may happen.

What is sinister in other languages?

Türkçe: uğursuz · Español: siniestro · Français: sinistre · Deutsch: unheimlich · Italiano: sinistro · 日本語: 不吉な

How do you pronounce sinister?

In American English /ˈsɪnɪstər/; in British English /ˈsɪnɪstə/.

How do you use sinister in a sentence?

He gave me a sinister smile. There was something sinister about the empty house.

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sinister in other languages

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