portentuous

“Cheap wine, portentuous and pretentious conversations, sex sex sex and unending tributes to the powers of pot.”

A Diet of Treacle by Lawrence Block Hard Case Crime

“Or, you can hire some attractive but anonymous exhibitionists each year for your reality series and promise [portentuous pause, in the manner of Dr. Evil threatening world leaders] one million dollars to the winner!”

Archive 2004-12-05

“The darkest feature, however, in this oppression, is found in the undefined terrors which hung like a portentuous cloud over this devoted people; terrors, too, of such a nature as gloomily to impress the imagination and freeze the soul with horror.”

The Oath of Allegiance to the United States, Discussed in its Moral and Political Bearings

“For about three weeks the storm raged most furiously, the wind became a hurricane, the waves rolled and dashed mountain high, sweeping our boats from their hangings, and dashing them in pieces; while the sun was hid by dark and portentuous clouds.”

The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave; Containing His History of 25 Years in Bondage, and His Providential Escape. Written by Himself.