Sinister
adj ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Inauspicious, ominous, unlucky, illegitimate (as in bar sinister).
"All the several ills that visit earth, Brought forth by night, with a sinister birth."
- 2 Evil or seemingly evil; indicating lurking danger or harm.
"sinister influences"
- 3 Of the left side. archaic
"my Mothers bloud Runs on the dexter checke, and this ſiniſter Bounds in my fathers:"
- 4 On the left side of a shield from the wearer's standpoint, and the right side to the viewer.
"The shield was divided into five, with two coats of arms on the dexter side (the right-hand side from the point of view of the bearer of the shield)—London and Southampton—and three on the sinister side—Salisbury, Winchester and Portsmouth."
- 5 Wrong, as springing from indirection or obliquity; perverse; dishonest. obsolete
"Nimble and sinister tricks and shifts."
- 1 threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments wordnet
- 2 on or starting from the wearer's left wordnet
- 3 stemming from evil characteristics or forces; wicked or dishonorable wordnet
Example
More examples"The most famous painting in the exposition depicted a starry sky with bats flying over it. It was a little sinister."
Etymology
From Middle English sinistre (“unlucky”), from Old French senestre, sinistre (“left”), from Latin sinister (“left hand”).