sinister
87
6.1
- adjective
- /ˈsɪnɪstər/
:
siniestro
- The abandoned house had a sinister aura, making everyone wary of approaching it.
- a sinister plot
- seem sinister
- sinister forces
Oh yes, So how how sinister is that stuff then?
- Oh yes, So how how sinister is that stuff then?
- It goes from being absurd to utterly sinister and clinically stupid.
- Future faking is often much more sinister than not calling you back later.
- I don't, I don't think these people are sinister, but they're not dumb.
- Is there anything sinister causing damage?
- It's all equally as dangerous, reckless, sinister and insane.
- But is it possible that other characters may be far more sinister than the Wet Bandits?
- Trump knows these accusations of sexual misconduct are really being concocted by sinister forces.
- What if obesity is a coping mechanism for a far more sinister problem going on underneath the cell?
- And I thought, this really is, this really is quite sinister.
Examples
-
The pressures of our new role have unfortunately contributed to sinister developments inside the United States.
Academic text (1996) -
The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within.
-
There was actually something quite sinister about her.
-
A crime of the most sinister nature, no doubt.
-
We're caught in the middle of something sinister here.
-
Is there anything sinister causing damage?
-
And so that's a slightly sinister side of the story.
-
But this feels some like something far more sinister and far more real and true to life.
-
With regard to the narrative style, the films are darker and more sinister than the novel.
Academic text (2012) -
The music grows, and a sinister feel of danger and death pervades the atmosphere.
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
763
1.0
Causing fear or making you feel afraid
366
3.0
Making you feel nervous, uncomfortable, or a little afraid
287
3.0
Causing someone to feel afraid
96
3.2
Strange and frightening in a way that makes you feel nervous, like a ghost
96
6.4
Makes you feel that something bad will happen
91
5.1
A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby
65
3.6
Showing that something bad or dangerous may happen
57
4.5
Very bad and shocking, causing people to feel fear or sadness
37
4.8
Very frightening and likely to make people afraid
19
2.9
Causing strong fear and worry
9
7.3
Making you feel that something bad will happen
4
8.4
Looking or sounding dangerous and making you feel afraid
1
5.3
A person or thing that looks dangerous and likely to cause harm
1
5.0
Giving the feeling that something dangerous may happen
1
9.9
Causing great fear or showing terrible danger
That makes people feel afraid
A voice or look that makes you feel someone will cause harm
Giving a strong feeling that something bad will happen
Looking unfriendly or dangerous so people do not want to go near
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A diagonal band on a shield from top right to bottom left often marking a child born outside marriage
- Archaic
A diagonal band on a shield in heraldry running from the upper right to the lower left
How Threatening
Surface Forms
Etymology
Sinister comes from the Latin sinistra, which means 'left'. Because the left was once thought unlucky or strange in many cultures, sinister came to mean 'threatening' or 'evil'.