Imagine a truly respectable and amiable hen, by some portentous anomaly, taking to reflection and inventing combinations by which she might prevail on Hodge not to wring her neck, or send her and her chicks to market; the result could hardly be other than much cackling and fluttering.
Mrs Tulliver was frightened; there was something portentous in this mad outbreak; she did not see how life could go on after it.
The red light of the setting sun seemed to have a portentous meaning, with which the alarming bray of the second donkey with the log on its foot must surely have some connection.
The respectability of the party was portentous.
Toad was quite alarmed at this very serious and portentous style of greeting; but the Rat whispered to him, "Never mind; don't take any notice; and don't say anything to him just yet.
A horrible, portentous fact was slowly looming out before her from the nebula of surmise and fear.
" Tom drew an hour-glass with a full moon and straw limbs to it and armed the spreading fingers with a portentous fan.
The paper confirms that the ocean is exquisitely sensitive to small variations in the earth's temperature — a portentous finding, given that human emissions are inducing a large temperature rise.
