SINISTER: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SINISTER?

Need another word that means the same as “sinister”? Find 28 synonyms and 30 related words for “sinister” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Sinister” are: black, dark, baleful, forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, threatening, frightening, eerie, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, suggestive of evil, evil-looking, evil, wicked, bad, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious, malign

Sinister as an Adjective

Definitions of "Sinister" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sinister” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Evil or criminal.
• Of, on, or towards the left-hand side (in a coat of arms, from the bearer's point of view, i.e. the right as it is depicted).
• On or starting from the wearer's left.
• Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
• Stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable.
• Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.

Synonyms of "Sinister" as an adjective (28 Words)

alarming	Frightening because of an awareness of danger. Our countryside is disappearing at an alarming rate.
bad	Feeling physical discomfort or pain tough is occasionally used colloquially for bad. Has a bad back.
baleful	Deadly or sinister. The Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look.
base	Serving as or forming a base. Base coins of aluminum.
black	Of the face made black especially as with suffused blood. Man has written one of his blackest records as a destroyer on the oceanic islands.
corrupt	Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain. Spoke a corrupted version of the language.
criminal	Involving or being or having the nature of a crime. A criminal waste of talent.
dark	Having a dark hue. Dark green.
disquieting	Causing mental discomfort. He found Jean s gaze disquieting.
disturbing	Causing anxiety; worrying. A disturbing amount of crime.
eerie	Suggestive of the supernatural; mysterious. An eerie green glow in the sky.
evil	Of a force or spirit embodying or associated with the forces of the devil. No man is so evil as to be beyond redemption.
evil-looking	Having an evil appearance.
forbidding	Harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance- J.M.Barrie. Forbidding thunderclouds.
frightening	Making someone afraid or anxious; terrifying. A frightening experience.
malevolent	Having or exerting a malignant influence. The glint of dark malevolent eyes.
malicious	Having the nature of or resulting from malice- Rudyard Kipling. Took malicious pleasure in watching me wince.
malign	Having or exerting a malignant influence. Believed in witches and malign spirits.
menacing	Suggesting the presence of danger; threatening. Our officers encountered menacing looks from teenagers.
minacious	Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
minatory	Expressing or conveying a threat. He is unlikely to be deterred by minatory finger wagging.
nefarious	Extremely wicked. The nefarious activities of the organized crime syndicates.
ominous	Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments. A dead and ominous silence prevailed.
suggestive of evil	Tending to suggest or imply.
threatening	Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments. Her mother had received a threatening letter.
vile	Extremely unpleasant. He has a vile temper.
villainous	Extremely wicked. A villainous plot.
wicked	Having committed unrighteous acts. A wicked and unscrupulous politician.

Usage Examples of "Sinister" as an adjective

• The scheme of some sinister intelligence bent on punishing him.
• Sinister storm clouds.
• Bar sinister.
• There might be a more sinister motive behind the government's actions.
• There was something sinister about that murmuring voice.
• A sinister smile.

Associations of "Sinister" (30 Words)

aggressive	Having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends. Aggressive drivers.
bad	Badly. I feel bad that our business is benefiting from something so horrible.
baleful	Deadly or sinister. A baleful look.
baneful	Exceedingly harmful. The baneful effects of envy and jealousy.
boding	A feeling of evil to come. A steadily escalating sense of foreboding.
brawl	A rough or noisy fight or quarrel. A street brawl.
circumstances	Your overall circumstances or condition in life including everything that happens to you. He found himself in straitened circumstances.
daunting	Seeming difficult to deal with in prospect; intimidating. A daunting task.
evil	Of a force or spirit embodying or associated with the forces of the devil. Evil deeds.
fateful	Having momentous consequences; of decisive importance- Saturday Rev. A fateful oversight.
forbidding	Harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance- J.M.Barrie. A grim and forbidding building.
foreboding	Implying that something bad is going to happen. When the Doctor spoke his voice was dark and foreboding.
impious	(of a person or act) wicked. The emperor s impious attacks on the Church.
inauspicious	Contrary to your interests or welfare. Following this inauspicious start the British outnumbered withdrew.
inhumane	Without compassion for misery or suffering; cruel. Humans are innately inhumane this explains much of the misery and suffering in the world.
intimidating	Having a frightening, overawing, or threatening effect. The intimidating defence barrister.
menacing	Suggesting the presence of danger; threatening. Our officers encountered menacing looks from teenagers.
minatory	Expressing or conveying a threat. He is unlikely to be deterred by minatory finger wagging.
nefarious	(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal. Nefarious schemes.
omen	Indicate as with a sign or an omen. He looked for an omen before going into battle.
ominous	Giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen; threateningly inauspicious. A dead and ominous silence prevailed.
presentiment	An intuitive feeling about the future, especially one of foreboding. A presentiment of disaster.
threatening	Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments. Taylor was in custody on a charge of threatening behaviour.
unfortunate	Not auspicious; boding ill. An unfortunate speech.
unpleasant	Causing discomfort, unhappiness, or revulsion; disagreeable. Unpleasant repercussions.
unpropitious	Not propitious. His reports were submitted at a financially unpropitious time.
vice	Immoral or wicked behaviour. Vice offends the moral standards of the community.
vicious	Deliberately cruel or violent. A vicious flu bug.
villainous	Extremely bad or unpleasant. A villainous smell.
wicked	Naughtily or annoyingly playful. A wicked prank.