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sinister

/ˈsɪ.nɪ.stəɹ/adjective3 syllables

Sinister means: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.

Synonyms for sinister27

adjective, as in threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

baleful, forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, threatening, alarming

adjective, as in stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable

black, dark, evil

adjective, as in on or starting from the wearer's left

sinistral

also used for sinister

foreboding, portentous, augurous, bodeful, boding, dire, disastrous, divine, fatal, malicious, malevolent, abandoned, arrant, bad, bad apple

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does sinister mean?3

adjective

1

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments“a baleful look”

2

stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable“black deeds”

3

on or starting from the wearer's left“bar sinister”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Sinister in a sentence

  • There is sorcery behind this, said a sinister voice coming from the crowd.Scott
  • There was something quite special, almost sinister to his smile.veganesta
  • Dan had that sinister feeling that something was wrong.Amastan
  • He said there was some sort of sinister presence in that room.Amastan
  • Yanni's eyes were deranged and he had a sinister smile.Amastan
  • Lorenzo felt like something sinister was watching him from the shadows.Amastan
  • Was Fadil telling the truth or was he hiding something more sinister?OsoHombre
  • The Italian mafia has a very sinister history.Amastan

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.