Both Uses of
portentous
in
Hard Times
- These portentous infants being alarming creatures to stalk about in any human society, the eighteen denominations incessantly scratched one another's faces and pulled one another's hair by way of agreeing on the steps to be taken for their improvement — which they never did; a surprising circumstance, when the happy adaptation of the means to the end is considered.†
Chpt 1.8
- Her father gives her such a portentously hard-headed reputation, that I have a burning desire to know.†
Chpt 2.1 *
Definition:
-
(portentous) very important; or indicating something important in the future
or:
acting overly important or serious