Word · adjective · C1 · Neutral · strongly negative
sinister
Seeming evil or threatening, and making you feel that something bad may happen.
zlokoban; mračan i preteći; koji nagoveštava nešto loše
Memory scene
A warm, ordinary room looks safe until a long claw-like shadow enters before anything can be seen at the door.
How it sounds
SIN-uh-stur
Stress the first syllable; the remaining syllables are light.
Build the sentence
sinister + noun · something sinister about + noun or pronoun
Use it
The cheerful music made the abandoned fairground feel even more sinister.
The contrast creates a sense that hidden danger may be present.
Investigators found no sinister motive behind the unusual payments.
A sinister motive is a hidden intention to cause harm or do evil.
Watch out
Sinister is stronger than strange, dark, or unpleasant: it suggests evil, harmful intention, or approaching danger. Avoid it for ordinary inconvenience when no threat is implied.
Nearby language
The closest alternative when something appears actively threatening.
Suggests that something bad is about to happen, without necessarily implying an evil person or force.
More informal and subjective: strangely frightening or uncomfortable.
Describes a deliberate wish to harm; it normally applies to intention or behavior rather than atmosphere.
Make it yours
Hodnik je bio prazan, ali su prigušeno svetlo i neobični zvuci stvarali osećaj da će se nešto loše dogoditi.