Ominosity

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɒmɪˈnɒsɪti/

Definitions

1. The state of evoking a sense of foreboding or dread is often associated with situations that indicate impending danger or misfortune
2. An atmosphere filled with a sense of threat or malignancy typically creates feelings of gloom or anxiety in individuals
3. A characteristic that causes a feeling of unease by indicating potential danger or bad outcomes

Etymology: "Ominosity" is simply "ominous" with the suffix "-ity" attached. "Ominous" itself comes from Latin "ōmen," an omen or sign, which the Romans used for any event believed to foretell the future. English took "ominous" in the sense of "portending evil," so a thing that seemed to signal trouble carried a built-in warning. The suffix "-ity" comes from Latin "-itas," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a quality or state. Adding it to "ominous" produces a word for the quality of being ominous, the sense of foreboding that a situation or atmosphere gives off. The result is a noun for an abstract feeling rather than for the omen itself.