minatory

adjective

ˈmi-nə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce minatory (audio)
Definition of minatorynext
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come the novel's protagonist is haunted by a minatory black specter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of minatory Among the richest of the novel’s many pleasures are just such minor characters, including some irresistibly vain and grasping thespians and the minatory Appleby brothers, talent agents of sorts who shamelessly throw their considerable weight around. — Daniel Akst, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for minatory
  1. ominous
  2. sinister
  3. menacing
Adjective
  • As evening descends on Paris, there are ominous signs for what lies ahead tonight.
    — Elina Baudier Kim, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Once storms roll through, things will change with temperatures falling for the afternoon, light rain and drizzle around, and cloudy ominous skies.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • Ancient myths and modern cinema depict bogs as sinister locales, dangerous to cross, and fatal to get trapped in.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That’s when things took a strange and somewhat sinister turn.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • The preacher sought refuge from a menacing bear by climbing a tree.
    — Alfred H. Moses, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026
  • His friends and family received a barrage of menacing threats.
    — Todd Wallack, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of menacing

Browse Nearby Words

miming
minatory
minaudière
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Minatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/minatory. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All