Not favorable or promising; unlikely to lead to success or good outcomes.
From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'auspicium' (divination by birds). Roman augurs would watch bird flights to predict the future, so 'auspicious' meant 'favored by the birds/gods,' and 'inauspicious' means the opposite.
This word takes us back to ancient Rome where priests literally read the future in bird flight patterns—if the birds flew favorably, your endeavor was 'auspicious,' so 'inauspicious' carries the weight of superstition and cosmic disapproval.
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