1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a dark, baleful sky portending a tornado
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2
as in adverse
causing or capable of causing harm
contends that the violent content of so much of popular entertainment is a baleful influence on our society
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3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
a medicine that is beneficial in small doses but baleful in large
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baleful
At another, this baleful ribbon emanates from the shell of a totaled BMW 325iS, the very model of car once associated in the region with gang terror — elsewhere shown cruising and spinning on dusty roads, like urban harbingers of doom amid rural tranquility.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
The effect is to rub our faces in the self-destructive horror of the heroine’s impulses and to shift that baleful sense of the erotic’s dark power from a disturbing subtext to a more sensationalized foreground.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The company, Wave, is taking aim at AAT deficiency, marked by scarce or defective alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein that neutralizes baleful enzymes released by immune cells.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
How can this be, given plastic’s baleful reputation?
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
The effect is to rub our faces in the self-destructive horror of the heroine’s impulses and to shift that baleful sense of the erotic’s dark power from a disturbing subtext to a more sensationalized foreground.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The company, Wave, is taking aim at AAT deficiency, marked by scarce or defective alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein that neutralizes baleful enzymes released by immune cells.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
How can this be, given plastic’s baleful reputation?
—Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baleful
Adjective
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Although the change sounds ominous, the option only worked on three devices: the 4th generation Echo Dot, the Echo Show 10 and the Echo Show 15.—
Andrew Torgan,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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The ominous outlook sent FedEx shares down nearly 10 percent in Friday morning trading.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The takeover offer will be subject to customary closing conditions including market and business-related material, adverse change clauses and regulatory approval.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Marijuana can have broad adverse physical and mental health effects.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When carboxyhemoglobin saturation exceeds 50%, it is considered lethal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2025
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Astronauts on a mission to Mars lasting several years would be exposed to potentially lethal amounts of radiation, Pitts said.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The supernatural thriller is set in the Jim Crow South, where twin brothers—each played by Jordan—return home from Chicago with hopes of starting over, only to confront a sinister force that’s been waiting for them.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Apr. 2025
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The banal village tunes that Mahler altered into sinister mock vulgarities—did these not recall the raffish klezmer bands, the wandering musicians who played at shtetl weddings?—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Our biochemical response to that type of stress is to release cortisol which eventually leads to the harmful downstream effects on our bodies, such as high blood pressure.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2025
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Make sure to not add dyes or sweeteners, which can be harmful to hummingbirds.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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She was originally charged with manslaughter – typical in a deadly hit-and-run case – but authorities later tacked on the murder charge.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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As fate would have it, the very destructive and deadly wildfires that swept through Los Angeles neighborhoods this year erupted as its city officials were struggling to close a large gap in their budget.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The rapper’s latest includes wistful trap anthems ruminating on his trials and tribulations, as well as menacing drill tracks and more melodic songs tapping into his romantic side to cater to his female fan base — all of which were run by Durk’s legal team before heading to streaming services.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2025
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Bell, a Ritchie regular, offers an uncouth but equally menacing counterpoint to Brosnan, a mobster who isn’t pretending that he’s crawled out of the muck.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But even with the buffer, extended time with a 200 percent wine tariff would be detrimental to Sinzer’s businesses and restaurants across America.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2025
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Those two-putts down the stretch were not detrimental, but did allow Spaun to stay in the tournament.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baleful. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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