Word a Day
sinister
What does sinister mean?
sinister (adjective): threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use sinister in a sentence?
- Sinister storm clouds. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
- A sinister smile. (Princeton WordNet 3.1)
How do you pronounce sinister?
/ˈsɪnɪstəɹ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does sinister come from?
From Middle English sinistre (“unlucky”), from Old French senestre, sinistre (“left”), from Latin sinister (“left hand”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What are synonyms of sinister?
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “sinister”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “sinister” mean?
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
Not quite: that's what perfect means.
liked by many people; generally pleasing, widely admired
Not quite: that's what popular means.
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Right! That's what “sinister” means.
easily discovered, seen, or understood; self-explanatory
Not quite: that's what obvious means.
Which word is closest in meaning to “sinister”?
particular
Not quite: particular means something else.
forbidding
Right!
successful
Not quite: successful means something else.
impossible
Not quite: impossible means something else.
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