different between ominous vs malicious

English

Etymology

From Latin ominosus (“full of foreboding”), from omen (“forbidden fruit, omen”), from os (“the mouth”) + -men.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??m?n?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??m?n?s/
• Hyphenation: o?mi?nous

Adjective

ominous (comparative more ominous, superlative most ominous)

1. Of or pertaining to an omen or to omens; being or exhibiting an omen; significant.
2. Specifically, giving indication of a coming ill; being an evil omen

   Synonyms: threatening, portentous, inauspicious

   • California poll support for Jerry Brown's tax increases has ominous implications for U.S. taxpayers too Los Angeles Times Headline April 25, 2011

Usage notes

• Formerly used both in a favorable and unfavorable sense; now chiefly in the latter; foreboding or foreshadowing evil; inauspicious; as, an ominous dread.
• Nouns to which "ominous" is often applied: sign, silence, warning, cloud, note, sound, shadow, threat, music, tone, implication, message, presence, development, voice, portent, turn, sky, figure, dream, event, trend, change, day, beginning, growl, cry, signal, pattern.

Synonyms

• portentous
• sinister
• threatening

Derived terms

• ominously
• ominousness

Related terms

• omen
• abomination

Translations

Further reading

• ominous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ominous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• suimono

English

Alternative forms

• malitious (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French malicios, from Latin malitiosus, from malitia (“malice”), from malus (“bad”). Displaced native Old English yfelwillende.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?l?sh'?s, IPA^(key): /m??l???s/

Adjective

malicious (comparative more malicious, superlative most malicious)

1. Of, pertaining to, or as a result of malice or spite
2. spiteful and deliberately harmful

   He was sent off for a malicious tackle on Jones.

Synonyms

• malevolent
• evil
• See also Thesaurus:evil

Derived terms

• maliciously
• maliciousness
• malicious mischief

Translations