Definition of sinister in English:

sinister

adjective ˈsɪnɪstəˈsɪnɪstər

1Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.
there was something sinister about that murmuring voice
Example sentencesExamples
- The Church is a dark and sinister place with creepy occult doings going on.
- Strange and sinister things sometimes happen on the streets of York at the crack of dawn.
- In a university, something even more sinister happens.
- Or did something more sinister happen, as Padilla's family and others fear?
- It wasn't - there was no kind of sinister conspiracy at the start.
- Noah's piece tends to show that neoconservatism is not the sinister conspiracy he thinks it is, not that neoconservatism is cracking up.
- Children across Bradford will be enjoying spooky shenanigans for Halloween tonight but police are urging that everyone takes care to make sure nothing more sinister happens.
- The high cheek bones are very pronounced, giving the creatures an impression of a continual sinister smile.
- The mutter of sinister threats and portents was already to be heard.
- Not to be overlooked in the controversy were the paranoid prognosticators who saw grand conspiracies and sinister plots everywhere.
- There is a worrying conviction growing in this community that something sinister is happening in our justice system.
- Personally, I think it's all a sinister conspiracy by the BBC to overdub Doctor Who with something that has now spoilt it, to make us all buy it when it comes out on DVD.
- Whether in 2005 or 2025, we need a clearer picture of Cameroon, and less of a merely vague, sinister impression.
- Only by unmasking a sinister conspiracy can he prove his innocence.
- Yet there are more sinister happenings afoot, as Count Dracula himself jumps into the mix, searching for a serum to make him invincible.
- Her early work gave way to more chilling visions that echoed fairy tale evils, sinister forests, cunning wolves, and grandmothers ready to eat you.
- Bound in the flayed skin of 100 saints and penned with the blood of virgins, this sinister and forbidden occult text is an item of incredible power.
- Norrell's love of secrecy and Strange's attraction to the wilder edges of magic invoke dark and sinister happenings.
- A quick Google search reveals that several conspiracy web sites allege sinister motivations behind this conference.
- Nobody could say that anything sinister was happening.
Synonyms
menacing, threatening, ominous, forbidding, baleful, frightening, eerie, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, dark, black, suggestive of evil, evil-looking
ill-omened, inauspicious, unpropitious, portentous
Scottish eldritch
informal spooky, scary, creepy
rare minatory, minacious, minatorial, bodeful, direful, sinistrous
1. 1.1 Evil or criminal.
  there might be a more sinister motive behind the government's actions
  Example sentencesExamples
  Judge Laity in England described the group as ‘corrupt, sinister and dangerous’.
  Instead it's a candid admission he once lived the furtive lifestyle of a sinister international beer villain.
  They are put into the custody of Count Olaf, a sinister villain who is plotting to steal their inheritance.
  In many of his books, the heroes are noble trial lawyers while the villains are sinister corporations and the lawyers who agree to defend them.
  Credit card fraud attracts sinister people who use the money to fund criminal activity such as terrorism.
  Synonyms
  evil, wicked, bad, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious, malign
2Heraldry
archaic attributive 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).
The opposite of dexter
Example sentencesExamples
- Each coat of arms has a right and left (i.e. dexter and sinister) heraldic side, as observed by the person carrying the shield.

Derivatives

sinisterly

adverb ˈsɪnɪstəliˈsɪnɪstərli

A look back at his work would reveal a persistent obsession with pain, suffering and the sinisterly hypnotic potential of martyrdom to provoke and inspire.
Example sentencesExamples
- More sinisterly, they were - and remain - one of the chief means by which the party keeps an eye on China's citizens, ever watchful for signs of dissent or unrest.
- The avant-garde Leftists also found something sinisterly consoling in representational realism, which reassures us with images of a world we feel at home with.
- He's dangerously ambitious, sinisterly ambitious.
- The camera sinisterly sneaks up to a charming church.

sinisterness

noun

I found Tom McBeath's Iago a very comical one, but he lacked the sinisterness and maliciousness that comprises the other half of Iago's persona.
Example sentencesExamples
- Perhaps they thought a dose of sinisterness would give listeners something they could get a firm grip on, but for all the pent-up fantasies that fueled this record, Enemies doesn't rise to the occasion.
- In terms of sheer sinisterness, though, I think Herr Lipp and Papa Lazarou are hard to beat.
- His face lost its sinisterness, turning confused.
- It's depressingly revealing: Pinter's staccato sinisterness does not illustrate a point; it distracts the audience from the fact his point is so banal.

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense 'malicious, underhand'): from Old French sinistre or Latin sinister 'left'.

In Latin sinister meant ‘left’ or ‘left-hand’, but apart from terms in heraldry such as bend sinister, a broad diagonal stripe from top right to bottom left of a shield which is a supposed sign of illegitimacy, sinister in English has never meant the physical left-hand side. Instead it reflects deep-rooted prejudices against left-handedness, which had associations of evil, malice, or dishonesty. See also ambidextrous, dexterous

Rhymes

administer, maladminister, minister

Definition of sinister in US English:

sinister

adjectiveˈsinistərˈsɪnɪstər

1Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.
there was something sinister about that murmuring voice
Example sentencesExamples
- The Church is a dark and sinister place with creepy occult doings going on.
- Nobody could say that anything sinister was happening.
- Her early work gave way to more chilling visions that echoed fairy tale evils, sinister forests, cunning wolves, and grandmothers ready to eat you.
- The high cheek bones are very pronounced, giving the creatures an impression of a continual sinister smile.
- Yet there are more sinister happenings afoot, as Count Dracula himself jumps into the mix, searching for a serum to make him invincible.
- Only by unmasking a sinister conspiracy can he prove his innocence.
- Norrell's love of secrecy and Strange's attraction to the wilder edges of magic invoke dark and sinister happenings.
- There is a worrying conviction growing in this community that something sinister is happening in our justice system.
- Noah's piece tends to show that neoconservatism is not the sinister conspiracy he thinks it is, not that neoconservatism is cracking up.
- Or did something more sinister happen, as Padilla's family and others fear?
- The mutter of sinister threats and portents was already to be heard.
- Children across Bradford will be enjoying spooky shenanigans for Halloween tonight but police are urging that everyone takes care to make sure nothing more sinister happens.
- A quick Google search reveals that several conspiracy web sites allege sinister motivations behind this conference.
- Strange and sinister things sometimes happen on the streets of York at the crack of dawn.
- Whether in 2005 or 2025, we need a clearer picture of Cameroon, and less of a merely vague, sinister impression.
- Bound in the flayed skin of 100 saints and penned with the blood of virgins, this sinister and forbidden occult text is an item of incredible power.
- It wasn't - there was no kind of sinister conspiracy at the start.
- Not to be overlooked in the controversy were the paranoid prognosticators who saw grand conspiracies and sinister plots everywhere.
- Personally, I think it's all a sinister conspiracy by the BBC to overdub Doctor Who with something that has now spoilt it, to make us all buy it when it comes out on DVD.
- In a university, something even more sinister happens.
Synonyms
menacing, threatening, ominous, forbidding, baleful, frightening, eerie, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, dark, black, suggestive of evil, evil-looking
1. 1.1 Evil or criminal.
  there might be a more sinister motive behind the government's actions
  Example sentencesExamples
  Judge Laity in England described the group as ‘corrupt, sinister and dangerous’.
  Credit card fraud attracts sinister people who use the money to fund criminal activity such as terrorism.
  In many of his books, the heroes are noble trial lawyers while the villains are sinister corporations and the lawyers who agree to defend them.
  Instead it's a candid admission he once lived the furtive lifestyle of a sinister international beer villain.
  They are put into the custody of Count Olaf, a sinister villain who is plotting to steal their inheritance.
  Synonyms
  evil, wicked, bad, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious, malign
2Heraldry
archaic attributive Of, on, or toward the left-hand side (in a coat of arms, from the bearer's point of view, i.e., the right as it is depicted).
The opposite of dexter
Example sentencesExamples
- Each coat of arms has a right and left (i.e. dexter and sinister) heraldic side, as observed by the person carrying the shield.

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘malicious, underhand’): from Old French sinistre or Latin sinister ‘left’.

单词	sinister
释义	Definition of sinister in English: sinister adjective ˈsɪnɪstəˈsɪnɪstər 1Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen. there was something sinister about that murmuring voice Example sentencesExamples The Church is a dark and sinister place with creepy occult doings going on. Strange and sinister things sometimes happen on the streets of York at the crack of dawn. In a university, something even more sinister happens. Or did something more sinister happen, as Padilla's family and others fear? It wasn't - there was no kind of sinister conspiracy at the start. Noah's piece tends to show that neoconservatism is not the sinister conspiracy he thinks it is, not that neoconservatism is cracking up. Children across Bradford will be enjoying spooky shenanigans for Halloween tonight but police are urging that everyone takes care to make sure nothing more sinister happens. The high cheek bones are very pronounced, giving the creatures an impression of a continual sinister smile. The mutter of sinister threats and portents was already to be heard. Not to be overlooked in the controversy were the paranoid prognosticators who saw grand conspiracies and sinister plots everywhere. There is a worrying conviction growing in this community that something sinister is happening in our justice system. Personally, I think it's all a sinister conspiracy by the BBC to overdub Doctor Who with something that has now spoilt it, to make us all buy it when it comes out on DVD. Whether in 2005 or 2025, we need a clearer picture of Cameroon, and less of a merely vague, sinister impression. Only by unmasking a sinister conspiracy can he prove his innocence. Yet there are more sinister happenings afoot, as Count Dracula himself jumps into the mix, searching for a serum to make him invincible. Her early work gave way to more chilling visions that echoed fairy tale evils, sinister forests, cunning wolves, and grandmothers ready to eat you. Bound in the flayed skin of 100 saints and penned with the blood of virgins, this sinister and forbidden occult text is an item of incredible power. Norrell's love of secrecy and Strange's attraction to the wilder edges of magic invoke dark and sinister happenings. A quick Google search reveals that several conspiracy web sites allege sinister motivations behind this conference. Nobody could say that anything sinister was happening. Synonyms menacing, threatening, ominous, forbidding, baleful, frightening, eerie, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, dark, black, suggestive of evil, evil-looking ill-omened, inauspicious, unpropitious, portentous Scottish eldritch informal spooky, scary, creepy rare minatory, minacious, minatorial, bodeful, direful, sinistrous 1.1 Evil or criminal. there might be a more sinister motive behind the government's actions Example sentencesExamples Judge Laity in England described the group as ‘corrupt, sinister and dangerous’. Instead it's a candid admission he once lived the furtive lifestyle of a sinister international beer villain. They are put into the custody of Count Olaf, a sinister villain who is plotting to steal their inheritance. In many of his books, the heroes are noble trial lawyers while the villains are sinister corporations and the lawyers who agree to defend them. Credit card fraud attracts sinister people who use the money to fund criminal activity such as terrorism. Synonyms evil, wicked, bad, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious, malign 2Heraldry archaic attributive 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). The opposite of dexter Example sentencesExamples Each coat of arms has a right and left (i.e. dexter and sinister) heraldic side, as observed by the person carrying the shield. Derivatives sinisterly adverb ˈsɪnɪstəliˈsɪnɪstərli A look back at his work would reveal a persistent obsession with pain, suffering and the sinisterly hypnotic potential of martyrdom to provoke and inspire. Example sentencesExamples More sinisterly, they were - and remain - one of the chief means by which the party keeps an eye on China's citizens, ever watchful for signs of dissent or unrest. The avant-garde Leftists also found something sinisterly consoling in representational realism, which reassures us with images of a world we feel at home with. He's dangerously ambitious, sinisterly ambitious. The camera sinisterly sneaks up to a charming church. sinisterness noun I found Tom McBeath's Iago a very comical one, but he lacked the sinisterness and maliciousness that comprises the other half of Iago's persona. Example sentencesExamples Perhaps they thought a dose of sinisterness would give listeners something they could get a firm grip on, but for all the pent-up fantasies that fueled this record, Enemies doesn't rise to the occasion. In terms of sheer sinisterness, though, I think Herr Lipp and Papa Lazarou are hard to beat. His face lost its sinisterness, turning confused. It's depressingly revealing: Pinter's staccato sinisterness does not illustrate a point; it distracts the audience from the fact his point is so banal. Origin Late Middle English (in the sense 'malicious, underhand'): from Old French sinistre or Latin sinister 'left'. In Latin sinister meant ‘left’ or ‘left-hand’, but apart from terms in heraldry such as bend sinister, a broad diagonal stripe from top right to bottom left of a shield which is a supposed sign of illegitimacy, sinister in English has never meant the physical left-hand side. Instead it reflects deep-rooted prejudices against left-handedness, which had associations of evil, malice, or dishonesty. See also ambidextrous, dexterous Rhymes administer, maladminister, minister Definition of sinister in US English: sinister adjectiveˈsinistərˈsɪnɪstər 1Giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen. there was something sinister about that murmuring voice Example sentencesExamples The Church is a dark and sinister place with creepy occult doings going on. Nobody could say that anything sinister was happening. Her early work gave way to more chilling visions that echoed fairy tale evils, sinister forests, cunning wolves, and grandmothers ready to eat you. The high cheek bones are very pronounced, giving the creatures an impression of a continual sinister smile. Yet there are more sinister happenings afoot, as Count Dracula himself jumps into the mix, searching for a serum to make him invincible. Only by unmasking a sinister conspiracy can he prove his innocence. Norrell's love of secrecy and Strange's attraction to the wilder edges of magic invoke dark and sinister happenings. There is a worrying conviction growing in this community that something sinister is happening in our justice system. Noah's piece tends to show that neoconservatism is not the sinister conspiracy he thinks it is, not that neoconservatism is cracking up. Or did something more sinister happen, as Padilla's family and others fear? The mutter of sinister threats and portents was already to be heard. Children across Bradford will be enjoying spooky shenanigans for Halloween tonight but police are urging that everyone takes care to make sure nothing more sinister happens. A quick Google search reveals that several conspiracy web sites allege sinister motivations behind this conference. Strange and sinister things sometimes happen on the streets of York at the crack of dawn. Whether in 2005 or 2025, we need a clearer picture of Cameroon, and less of a merely vague, sinister impression. Bound in the flayed skin of 100 saints and penned with the blood of virgins, this sinister and forbidden occult text is an item of incredible power. It wasn't - there was no kind of sinister conspiracy at the start. Not to be overlooked in the controversy were the paranoid prognosticators who saw grand conspiracies and sinister plots everywhere. Personally, I think it's all a sinister conspiracy by the BBC to overdub Doctor Who with something that has now spoilt it, to make us all buy it when it comes out on DVD. In a university, something even more sinister happens. Synonyms menacing, threatening, ominous, forbidding, baleful, frightening, eerie, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, dark, black, suggestive of evil, evil-looking 1.1 Evil or criminal. there might be a more sinister motive behind the government's actions Example sentencesExamples Judge Laity in England described the group as ‘corrupt, sinister and dangerous’. Credit card fraud attracts sinister people who use the money to fund criminal activity such as terrorism. In many of his books, the heroes are noble trial lawyers while the villains are sinister corporations and the lawyers who agree to defend them. Instead it's a candid admission he once lived the furtive lifestyle of a sinister international beer villain. They are put into the custody of Count Olaf, a sinister villain who is plotting to steal their inheritance. Synonyms evil, wicked, bad, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious, malign 2Heraldry archaic attributive Of, on, or toward the left-hand side (in a coat of arms, from the bearer's point of view, i.e., the right as it is depicted). The opposite of dexter Example sentencesExamples Each coat of arms has a right and left (i.e. dexter and sinister) heraldic side, as observed by the person carrying the shield. Origin Late Middle English (in the sense ‘malicious, underhand’): from Old French sinistre or Latin sinister ‘left’.
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