minatory

minatory [ˈmɪnəˌtɔri] a.

1.) Expressing, uttering, or conveying a threat; also, of the nature of a threat or menace; threatening, menacing (O.E.D. 2nd Ed.).

Etymology: French minatoire, from Late Latin minatorius, from Latin minatus, past participle of minari, to threaten.

"Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look. It was one of four which stood back some little way from the street, two being occupied and two empty. The latter looked out with three tiers of vacant melancholy windows, which were blank and dreary, save that here and there a 'To Let' card had developed like a cataract upon the bleared panes" (A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle, 1887).

(La Barque de Dante, Eugène Delacroix, 1822) ________________________________________________

I'm so excited to finally get to use a Conan Doyle quote. All right, time to announce this week's winner of the paragraph challenge. It's...jos xx! She wrote:

"As she walked hurriedly through the dark narrow streets, she repined for her two kids she could no longer see. Silently she cried, knowing that her rather quixotic self had led her there - a place unknown, discovered only by beasts. Once an assiduous teacher, striving for perfection...now she only waits for men. There's no a priori reason for her to think she's safe. She can't turn back, she's almost there. Everyone's quiescent at that time of day. She slowly pushes the gate enters the cheap motel. And waits."

Very nice. The only criticism I guess would be that you used the rare definition of "repine"="pine", but that's technically correct. Honorable mentions go to JayJay and D4, who gave jos xx a run for her money. Glad to see the competition heating up. The words for this week are (five of) echt, Arcades ambo, prolix, virago, surfeit, eo ipso, and uxorious (again, I exclude the rhetoric terms because I don't actually recommend using them outside of a technical context; they're just knowledge for knowledge's sake). Thanks for reading!