noun
omen of disaster; sign of calamity
A literary or formal expression for a portent of misfortune. Often used in warnings, prophecies, or dramatic contexts.
不吉な夢は凶事の兆しだと昔の人は信じていた。
People in the past believed that ominous dreams were omens of disaster.
この異常気象は凶事の兆しではないかと心配されている。
This abnormal weather is feared to be a sign of calamity.
凶兆 is a more concise synonym for 'evil omen', but 凶事の兆し is slightly more descriptive and literary.
Compound of 凶事 (calamity, disaster) and 兆し (sign, omen). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the components are transparent.