Ominous describes something that feels threatening or suggests something bad is about to happen. When dark clouds gather and the wind picks up suddenly, the sky looks ominous: it's warning that a storm is coming. When a character in a story hears ominous footsteps approaching in the darkness, those footsteps carry a sense of danger.

The word captures that uncomfortable feeling when you notice warning signs. An ominous silence might fall over a classroom right before the teacher announces a pop quiz. An ominous creaking sound from an old bridge suggests it might not be safe to cross. In adventure stories, characters often ignore ominous warnings and then face the consequences.

Notice that ominous doesn't mean something bad is definitely happening, just that the signs point that way. The darkening sky might clear up, and the footsteps might belong to a friend. But when something feels ominous, your instincts are telling you to pay attention and be careful. That prickly, uneasy sensation you get when things seem wrong? That's what ominous captures.