sinister

adjective

ˈsi-nə-stər How to pronounce sinister (audio)
Definition of sinisternext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word sinister different from other adjectives like it?

The words baleful and malign are common synonyms of sinister. While all three words mean "seriously threatening evil or disaster," sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer.

a sinister aura haunts the place

When is it sensible to use baleful instead of sinister?

The synonyms baleful and sinister are sometimes interchangeable, but baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly.

exerting a corrupt and baleful influence

When would malign be a good substitute for sinister?

The words malign and sinister are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful.

the malign effects of racism

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sinister This familiar geographical framework contains another, more sinister, world, where every horizon holds the promise of both discovery and danger. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026 Soon, Pinocchio – under the influence of a sinister Cricket (Robert Englund) — goes on a killing rampage to free James from everyone evil around him, and becoming a real boy in the process — one piece at a time. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 June 2026 Disclosure Day sees Daniel (O'Connor) and Margaret (Blunt) racing to evade the sinister Wardex corporation with the ultimate goal of disclosure. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026 Because everyone will have access to the same information, AI will accentuate the value of personal connections, again promoting lineages and networks that at their most extreme may appear to be sinister establishment conspiracies. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sinister
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinister
  1. ominous
  2. menacing
Adjective
  • If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
  • Instead, Mike Maignan got a confidence boost, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue combined for France’s fourth, and the favourites look more ominous than ever.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
  • Enola fearlessly climbs to the top of the carriage while wearing her white wedding dress, aiming a shotgun at the menacing figure.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
Definition of menacing

Phrases Containing sinister

Browse Nearby Words

singularly
sinister
sink
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sinister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinister. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sinister

Nglish: Translation of sinister for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sinister

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All