sinister

adjective

sin·​is·​ter ˈsi-nə-stər How to pronounce sinister (audio)
 archaic  sə-ˈni-
1
: singularly evil or productive of evil
2
: accompanied by or leading to disaster
3
: presaging ill fortune or trouble
4
a
: of, relating to, or situated to the left or on the left side of something
especially : being or relating to the side of a heraldic shield at the left of the person bearing it
b
: of ill omen by reason of being on the left
5
archaic : unfavorable, unlucky
6
archaic : fraudulent
sinisterly adverb
sinisterness noun

Did you know?

insidious, sinister, or pernicious?

Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness.

Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”).

Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”).

Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.”

Did you know?

Is sinister unfair to the left-handed?

Sinister has an etymology that might seem a bit biased against the left-handed portion of the population, as this word, which has had naught but disagreeable meanings for over five hundred years now, comes from a Latin word of the same spelling that means “on the left side.” We find this root in other English words, such as the adjective sinistral (“left-handed”) and the adverb sinistrad (“toward the left side”). To make things even more unfair, the Latin word dexter (“on the right side”) has given rise to English words with largely positive meanings, such as dexterity and ambidextrous.

Choose the Right Synonym for sinister

sinister, baleful, malign mean seriously threatening evil or disaster.

sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer.

a sinister aura haunts the place

baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly.

exerting a corrupt and baleful influence

malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful.

the malign effects of racism

Examples of sinister in a Sentence

There was something sinister about him. the movie relies too much on sinister background music to create the suspense that the plot sorely lacks
Recent Examples on the Web Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 But the toy turns out to be quite sinister — and has ties to Jessica herself. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Instead, the facilities hid a more sinister plan: to defraud hundreds of millions of dollars from the state by charging the American Indian Health Program, a Medicaid health plan that allows providers to bill directly for reimbursement of services rendered to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Detectives Rea Thomas and Vikram Singh are thrust into a dark world where these bone-chilling murders are not just random acts of violence but also part of a sinister plan orchestrated by a century-old secret society. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 But recently there’s something even more sinister afoot. Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The introduction of increasingly sophisticated AI is amplifying fears that the technology will malfunction and misbehave on its own, or be manipulated by people for sinister purposes such as spreading misinformation in politics or to torment their enemies. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 Photo: Shutterstock Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield bring wistful melancholy to the parts of three young adults who met at a sinister boarding school in Mark Romanek’s dystopian tearjerker. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2024 There’s several, actually, ranging from sinister cover-ups, to absurd speculations. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sinister.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sinistre, from Anglo-French senestre on the left, from Latin sinistr-, sinister on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sinister was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sinister

Cite this Entry

“Sinister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinister. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sinister

adjective
sin·​is·​ter ˈsin-əs-tər How to pronounce sinister (audio)
1
: especially evil or leading to evil : bad
2
: threatening evil, harm, or danger : ominous
sinisterly adverb
Etymology

Middle English sinistre "unlucky, unfavorable," from Latin sinistr-, sinister "left, on the left side, awkward, unfavorable"; so called because the ancient Romans believed that omens seen on the left side told of bad things to come

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