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The bale of baleful comes from Old English bealu ("evil"), and the bane of the similar-looking baneful comes from Old English bana ("slayer" or "murderer"). Baleful and baneful are alike in meaning as well as appearance, and they are sometimes used in quite similar contexts—but they usually differ in emphasis. Baleful typically describes what threatens or portends evil (e.g., "a baleful look," "baleful predictions"). Baneful applies typically to what causes evil or destruction (e.g., "a baneful secret," "the baneful bite of the serpent"). Both words are used to modify terms like influence, effect, and result, and in such uses there is little that distinguishes them.
Synonyms
Examples of baleful in a Sentence
Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
How can this be, given plastic’s baleful reputation?
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
This lushly red oval is obvious even through small telescopes, looking like a baleful eye staring out from the enormous gas giant planet.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 12 July 2024
No mention either of the untold billions of dollars lost due to their failure to truly reform the baleful criminal justice and bail laws that continue to allow sanguinary criminals unabated opportunity to terrorize the law-abiding public.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near baleful
Cite this Entry
“Baleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baleful. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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