# portentous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /pɔː(ɹ)ˈtɛntəs/ · frequency rank #80,768

## Definitions
1. Of momentous or ominous significance.
2. Ominously prophetic.
3. Puffed up with vanity.

## Etymology
Of multiple origins:
* Borrowed from Latin portentōsus, from portentus (“predicted”) + -ōsus. Compare earlier portentuous (via Middle English from Latin portentuōsus). By surface analysis, portent + -ous.
* Borrowed from French portentueux

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/portentous