SINISTER definition: 1. making you feel that something bad or evil might happen: 2. making you feel that something bad…. Learn more. Sinister definition: threatening or portending evil, harm, or trouble; ominous .. See examples of SINISTER used in a sentence. In the 15th century, when the word sinister came into use in English, people who were left-handed were thought to be bad luck or even evil. In his play Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote of the villain holding a human skull in his sinister — i.e., left — hand. The etymology of the adjective ' sinister ' is indeed intriguing and reveals how language can be influenced by cultural beliefs. It all begins with the Latin word ' sinister ,' which primarily meant 'left' or 'left-handed.' In ancient times, particularly in Roman culture, being left-handed was viewed as unconventional and even ill-omened. This perception stemmed from the belief that left-handedness was somehow associated with the unnatural or the unfavorable. Consequently, the word ' sinister ...
