* Formal: The storm clouds gathering on the horizon were an inauspicious sign for the upcoming sailing race.
* Informal: My first day at the new job started off inauspiciously when I spilled coffee all over my boss's desk.
* Figurative: The broken mirror hanging above the fireplace felt like an inauspicious omen for the evening's festivities.
* Historical: The king's death on the eve of the coronation was an inauspicious start to his son's reign.
* Descriptive: The darkened, dusty mansion, with its overgrown garden and crumbling facade, had an inauspicious air about it.