Minatory — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈmi-nə-ˌtȯr-ē/ mi·na·to·ry

Meaning & Definition of Minatory

Minatory (adjective)

  1. having a menacing quality

Minatory (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come

    "the novel's protagonist is haunted by a minatory black specter"

    similar: baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening
    related: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched, discouraging, disheartening, hopeless, unfavorable, unpromising, unpropitious, ill-fated, ill-starred, star-crossed, troubled, unfortunate, unlucky, evil, malign, malignant
    opposite: unthreatening
    near: auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Minatory

The most common words with a similar meaning to Minatory:

baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Minatory

Words with the opposite meaning of Minatory:

unthreatening

Related Words for Minatory

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich, elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable

Near Antonyms of Minatory

auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous

Origin & Etymology of Minatory

borrowed from Late Latin minātōrius, from Latin minor, minārī "to threaten, speak or act menacingly, hold out the threat of" (verbal derivative of minae, plural only, "threats, menaces, portents of evil") + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor; minae probably, if originally "projecting points, overhang," noun derivative of the verbal base *men- seen in ēminēre "to stick out, protrude," of uncertain origin

First known use: 1532

Frequently Asked Questions about Minatory

What does "Minatory" mean?

"Minatory" means having a menacing quality. As an adjective, it is defined as: having a menacing quality.

What is another word for "Minatory"?

Other words for "Minatory" include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding and inauspicious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Minatory" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Minatory"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Minatory". Common alternatives include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing and ominous.

What is the opposite of "Minatory"?

Antonyms of "Minatory" include unthreatening. Near antonyms include auspicious, benign, bright and encouraging.

How do you use "Minatory" in a sentence?

Examples of "Minatory" in a sentence: "the novel's protagonist is haunted by a minatory black specter".

Is "Minatory" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Minatory" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Minatory"?

"Minatory" is pronounced /ˈmi-nə-ˌtȯr-ē/ and divided into syllables as mi·na·to·ry.

What is the origin of the word "Minatory"?

"Minatory" comes from borrowed from Late Latin minātōrius, from Latin minor, minārī "to threaten, speak or act menacingly, hold out the threat of" (verbal derivative of minae, plural only, "threats, menaces, portents of evil") + -tōrius, deverbal adjective suffix originally forming derivatives from agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor; minae probably, if originally "projecting points, overhang," noun derivative of the verbal base *men- seen in ēminēre "to stick out, protrude," of uncertain origin. First known use: 1532.