sinister

[sin-uh-ster]

adjective

1. threatening or portending evil, harm, or trouble; ominous.

   a sinister remark.

   Synonyms: portentous, inauspicious
   Antonyms: benign

2. bad, evil, base, or wicked; fell.

   his sinister purposes.

3. unfortunate; disastrous; unfavorable.

   a sinister accident.

   Synonyms: unlucky
   Antonyms: favorable

4. of or on the left side; left.

5. Heraldry.,  noting the side of an escutcheon or achievement of arms that is to the left of the bearer (dexter ).

sinister

/ ˈsɪnɪstə /

adjective

1. threatening or suggesting evil or harm; ominous

   a sinister glance

2. evil or treacherous, esp in a mysterious way

3. (usually postpositive) heraldry of, on, or starting from the left side from the bearer's point of view and therefore on the spectator's right

4. archaic,  located on the left side

5. archaic,  (of signs, omens, etc) unfavourable

Other Word Forms

• sinisterness noun
• sinisterly adverb
• unsinister adjective
• unsinisterly adverb
• unsinisterness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinister¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin: “on the left hand or side,” hence, “unfavorable, injurious”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinister¹

C15: from Latin sinister on the left-hand side, considered by Roman augurs to be the unlucky one

Example Sentences

Penny raises the stakes even higher as Armand and his team uncover a more sinister conspiracy that strikes at the heart of Canada’s government and its ripped-from-the-headlines conflict with the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, “Lurker” suggests something far more sinister: Our old world is gone.

From Salon

Every supposedly superior universe is packaged with a sinister asterisk; what may be the best dimension ever for some people could be extremely hostile to others.

From Salon

“It has another goal, a goal more sinister than that, and that is to make people believe that their vote doesn’t really matter. That’s why it’s all of our fight.”

From Salon

The deeper one analyzes it, the more sinister its class dynamics feel, even if it’s an excuse to showcase, say, street dancing and hula hoop acrobatics.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dire 
• evil 
• malevolent 
• mischievous 
• ominous 
• perverse 
• threatening