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Showing results for sinister. Search instead for sinist.
Definitions

sinister

[sin-uh-ster] / ˈsɪn ə stər /
ADJECTIVE
nasty, menacing
Synonyms
STRONGEST
dire evil malevolent mischievous ominous perverse threatening
WEAK
adverse apocalyptic bad baleful baneful blackhearted corrupt deleterious disastrous dishonest disquieting doomful foreboding harmful hurtful ill-boding inauspicious injurious lowering malefic malign malignant obnoxious pernicious poisonous portentous unfavorable unfortunate unlucky unpropitious woeful
Antonyms
STRONGEST
auspicious good lucky nice
WEAK
benevolent kind

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Sergei Loznitsa’s new drama, stairwells are sinister.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The movie’s real draw is its blissfully sinister sound design, which utilizes the podcaster lifestyle to go full maximalist while the film’s visual landscape remains sparse and disquieting.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

A more sinister figure lurks behind Rodriguez in interior and justice minister Diosdado Cabello, Pachon notes.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

“We would interpret the correction signal activation as warning of a potential further short-term correction in the S&P 500 to test the 200-day moving average support, rather than anything more sinister for now.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

What a difference daylight made to the sinister nighttime appearance of the scene below!

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.