adj
portentous
Portentous (adj) means carrying great or worrying importance.
adj
1
Carrying great or worrying importance.
"The chaplain's first mention of the name Yossarian! had tolled deep in his memory like a portentous gong."
— Joseph Heller, Chief White Halfoat (1961)
"It is no longer in my possession, but my memory holds almost every word of its portentous message; and again I affirm my confidence in the sanity of the man who wrote it."
— H. P. Lovecraft (1931)
2
Seeming to warn of something bad to come.
3
Full of pride and self-importance.
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Etymology
Has more than one source. One is a borrowing from Latin portentōsus, from portentus (“predicted”) plus -ōsus, compare the earlier form portentuous (which came via Middle English from Latin portentuōsus); read at face value it is portent plus -ous. The other is a borrowing from French portentueux.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for portentous
See all rhymes for portentous →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of portentous?
"portentous" (adj) means carrying great or worrying importance.
What is another word for portentous?
Other words for "portentous" include pompous, prodigious, overblown, fateful, pontifical, grandiloquent.
What is the opposite of portentous?
Opposites of "portentous" include insignificant, unremarkable, trivial, auspicious, humble.
What are the different meanings of portentous?
"portentous" has 3 main meanings: 1. Carrying great or worrying importance; 2. Seeming to warn of something bad to come; 3. Full of pride and self-importance.
