Doomlike

/ˈduːmlʌɪk/ adjective

Definition

Resembling or having the character of doom; ominous or foreboding in appearance or quality.

Etymology

From 'doom' (Old English 'dōm', meaning judgment or fate) + 'like' (Old English 'gelīc', meaning similar). The compound emerged in English to describe things that seem to herald inevitable bad consequences.

Kelly Says

The word 'doom' originally meant 'judgment' in Old English, not necessarily something bad—it's related to 'deem.' Over time, it narrowed to mean specifically negative judgment or fate, which is why doomlike sounds so ominous even though its ancestor was neutral.

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