ominous
o·mi·nous/ˈɑmɪnəs/adjective
ominous is spelled O-M-I-N-O-U-S: 7 letters and 3 syllables (o·mi·nous). It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, ominous means “Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ominous?
| Letters | 7: O-M-I-N-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: o·mi·nous |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is ominous?
Ominous appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ominous?
- UK /ˈɒmɪnəs/
- US /ˈɑmɪnəs/
- Canada /ˈɒmɪnəs/
Ominous has 3 syllables, split o·mi·nous in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ominous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ominous
- more ominous comparative
- most ominous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ominous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant.
- 2
Specifically, giving indication of a coming ill; being an evil omen
California poll support for Jerry Brown's tax increases has ominous implications for U.S. taxpayers too Los Angeles Times Headline April 25, 2011
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ominous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | ahnungsvoll , bedrohlich, ominös, unheilvoll |
| Portuguese | ominoso, agourento |
| Spanish | ominoso, siniestro , agorero |
| French | de mauvais augure, omineux, menaçant, sinistre |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does ominous come from?
From Latin ōminōsus (“full of foreboding”), from ōmen (“forbidden fruit, omen”), from Old Latin osmen, of uncertain origin, with many origins proposed (see ōmen).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).