portentous

Borrowed from Latin portentōsus, from portentus (“predicted”) +‎ -ōsus; equivalent to portent +‎ -ous.

• IPA^(key): /pɔː(ɹ)ˈtɛntəs/

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portentous (comparative more portentous, superlative most portentous)

1. Of momentous or ominous significance.

   Synonyms: ominous, momentous

   • c. 1599-1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act 1, scene 1; republished as Hamlet, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1992, →ISBN, page 4:

     Well may it sort [be fitting] that this portentous figure comes armed through our watch, so like the King that was and is the question of these wars.

   • 1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 2, in The Whisperer in Darkness:

     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.

   • 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “Chief White Halfoat”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, OCLC 1023879857, page page:

     The chaplain's first mention of the name Yossarian! had tolled deep in his memory like a portentous gong.

   • 2019 March 15, Rachel Aroesti, “The Cinematic Orchestra: To Believe review – soundscape originators' accomplished return”, in The Guardian‎:

     The main problem with To Believe, however, is that by combining two of their previous styles, the Cinematic Orchestra have landed on a sound that has become ubiquitous in the years they’ve been away – portentous, restrained and impeccably tasteful electronica.

2. Ominously prophetic.

   Synonyms: foreshadowing, predictive, premonitory, prognosticatory

3. Puffed up with vanity.

• portentously

• portent