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Antonyms for sinister


Grammar : Adj
Spell : sin-uh-ster
Phonetic Transcription : ˈsɪn ə stər



Definition of sinister

Origin :
  • early 15c., "prompted by malice or ill-will, intending to mislead," from Old French senestre, sinistre "contrary, false; unfavorable; to the left" (14c.), from Latin sinister "left, on the left side" (opposite of dexter), of uncertain origin. Perhaps meaning properly "the slower or weaker hand" [Tucker], but Klein and Buck suggest it's a euphemism (see left (adj.)) connected with the root of Sanskrit saniyan "more useful, more advantageous." With contrastive or comparative suffix -ter, as in dexter (see dexterity).
  • The Latin word was used in augury in the sense of "unlucky, unfavorable" (omens, especially bird flights, seen on the left hand were regarded as portending misfortune), and thus sinister acquired a sense of "harmful, unfavorable, adverse." This was from Greek influence, reflecting the early Greek practice of facing north when observing omens. In genuine Roman auspices, the augurs faced south and left was favorable. Thus sinister also retained a secondary sense in Latin of "favorable, auspicious, fortunate, lucky."
  • Meaning "evil" is from late 15c. Used in heraldry from 1560s to indicate "left, to the left." Bend (not "bar") sinister in heraldry indicates illegitimacy and preserves the literal sense of "on or from the left side" (though in heraldry this is from the view of the bearer of the shield, not the observer of it).
  • adj nasty, menacing
Example sentences :
  • We do it in a sinister sense more often than by way of helpfulness.
  • Extract from : « The Conquest of Fear » by Basil King
  • The sinister association of ideas made Mary shudder, but she said no more.
  • Extract from : « Within the Law » by Marvin Dana
  • The voice of the older man came with a sinister force and saturnine.
  • Extract from : « Within the Law » by Marvin Dana
  • Dick, too, winced under the pain of this meeting with his father in a situation so sinister.
  • Extract from : « Within the Law » by Marvin Dana
  • There was a sinister thread in that flowing note, and suddenly Dick remembered.
  • Extract from : « The Rock of Chickamauga » by Joseph A. Altsheler
  • Then he saw the owner of the sinister voice, and he felt that he might have known from the first.
  • Extract from : « The Rock of Chickamauga » by Joseph A. Altsheler
  • It was not loud, and yet that light, snarling, sinister note was evident.
  • Extract from : « The Rock of Chickamauga » by Joseph A. Altsheler
  • Closely, but with no sinister motive, no trace of ill-feeling, she listened to all which they said.
  • Extract from : « Hetty's Strange History » by Anonymous
  • But beneath, it all seemed so mysterious, fantastic, sinister.
  • Extract from : « Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930 » by Various
  • He wondered whether she knew its meaning, with what sinister intention it had been made.
  • Extract from : « A Spirit in Prison » by Robert Hichens

Synonyms for sinister

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019