Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Suggesting or threatening evil: a sinister smile.
- adj. Presaging trouble; ominous: sinister storm clouds.
- adj. Attended by or causing disaster or inauspicious circumstances.
- adj. On the left side; left.
- adj. Heraldry Situated on or being the side of a shield on the wearer's left and the observer's right.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Left, as opposed to right; on the left side; specifically, in heraldry, noting the left-hand side of the person who carries the shield on his arm (therefore the right-hand side of the spectator): the sinister part of the escutcheon is opposed to the dexter part (see dexter). Bearings such as beasts and birds nearly always turn away from the sinister and toward the dexter; when they are turned toward the sinister, they are said to be reversed. See cut under
point , 21. - On or toward the left or unlucky side; hence, of ill omen; inauspicious; threatening or suggesting evil.
- Bringing evil; harmful; malign; unfortunate in results.
- Unpleasant; disagreeable.
- Malicious; evil; base; wrong.
Wiktionary
- adj. Inauspicious, ominous, unlucky, illegitimate (as in bar sinister).
- adj. Evil or seemingly evil; indicating lurking danger or harm.
- adj. Of the left side.
- adj. heraldry On the left side of a shield from the wearer's standpoint, and the right side to the viewer.
- adj. obsolete Wrong, as springing from indirection or obliquity; perverse; dishonest.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. On the left hand, or the side of the left hand; left; -- opposed to
dexter , orright . - adj. Unlucky; inauspicious; disastrous; injurious; evil; -- the left being usually regarded as the unlucky side.
- adj. Wrong, as springing from indirection or obliquity; perverse; dishonest; corrupt.
- adj. Indicative of lurking evil or harm; boding covert danger.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable
- adj. on or starting from the wearer's left
- adj. threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Etymologies
- From Middle English sinistre ("unlucky"), from Old French sinistra ("left"), from Latin sinestra ("left hand"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English sinistre, unfavorable, from Old French, from Latin sinister, on the left, unlucky. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Even the English word sinister comes from the Latin sinestra, which means left.”
“Hence, the word sinister describes this other side of the human body.”
“S refers to the Latin word sinister, meaning left.”
“And what they're trying to point out is what they call sinister relationships between Barack Obama and controversial Chicagoans like William Ayers and like Tony Rezko.”
“So in English 'sinister' is used for "threatening or dangerous or evil sort of things”
“She has failed to check in for over three weeks, and Sylvester has become concerned that something sinister is happening in her County.”
“But when murder claims a fourth woman, Jordon fears that something even more sinister is at hand.”
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“Often cast in sinister, villainous roles, he earned praise for his Oscar-nominated performance opposite Joan Crawford in Sudden Fear (1952).”
“Even more sinister is the use of towels to prevent whiplash injury when repeatedly throwing someone against a wall — “walling” appears to be the technical term.”
“It doesn't take long for Daniels to become convinced something sinister is occurring on the island, and that Cawley and Naehring are somehow working for the House Un-American Activities Committee.”
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Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sinister’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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macabre
words associated with the macabre & horror.
( open list, randomness )
more:
http://www.wordnik.co...ghastly, grisly, culeus, silly, gruesome, horrid, morbid, angelic, shocking, hideous, ghoulish, frightful and 138 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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phrontistery-s
from phrontistery.info
sabaton, sabbatarian, sabbulonarium, sabelline, sabin, sable, sabliere, sabot, sabretache, sabulous, saburration, saccade and 1593 more...
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(1st_wk_150)-Dec_5_2012
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 297 more...
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dameaning's list
negotiable
hegemony
stalagmite
wont
rasp
riddle
somnambulist
librocubicularisttertiary, constancy, acumen, tinder, confluence, insular, partiality, terse, vanguard, avant guard, irrascible, inverse and 27 more...
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z. aural ophelemity
words that sound so good, it's almost dirty
voluptuous, sensuous, voracious, ransom, sinister, notorious, wretched, insurrection, limbic, inverness, luscious, torrid and 3 more...
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Adjectives
impressive growth, significant, outstanding, an AILING person ..., sick, a HUMBLE person -..., DISARMING critics..., VAIN - напрасный,..., unavailing, IGNOMINOUS - пост..., shameful, ignoble and 34 more...
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[Open] Sinister Ascriptions
These words either descend from a word or root referring to the left side or direction (e.g., “sinister”) or refer to the concept themselves. Many, but not all, have negative connotations.
sinister, sinistral, gauche, bend sinister, bar sinister, sinister-handed, sinisterly, oculus sinister, ambisinister, sinister base, sinister aspect, ramus sinister and 43 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete, abound, technology, prognosticate, automaton, matron, paradox, realm and 288 more...
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Twitter favorites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favorite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
unfathomably, glice, cuh, fab, ciggaty, doll, thuggin, oxymoronic, pineapple, succubutt, griming, cheeky and 3027 more... -
Personal Vocabulary List
All my favourite words that I come across!
veritable, incongruence, rigamorole, letcherous, revolting, repulsive, reputrid, rapatious, forays, guise, placate, paradigm and 1162 more...
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Wordplay
reticent, slammerkin, moonstruck, zephyr, gallivant, hullabaloo, pandemonium, equestrian, wallflower, martyr, threadbare, treacherous and 180 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for sinister.
PossibleUnderscore "I am Dracula, and I bid you welcome . . . " Jul 26, 2009
PossibleUnderscore 'Sinister' wouldn't sound so sinister without all the 's's. That's my theory.
Jul 17, 2009
chained_bear From Latin, sinister, meaning left.
In heraldry, forming, or situated on, the left half of a shield (regarded from the bearer's point of view; see also dexter). Bend sinister usually indicated a bastard line. Feb 4, 2007