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“baleful”
baleful, baneful
baleful (BAYL fuhl) (adjective)
1. Threatening harm or great evil; ominous: Jarvis turned and gave Kirby a baleful, or sinister, glare.
2. Harmful or deadly; full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious: Lane and Trisha experienced the baleful effects of water pollution on their health.
2. Harmful or deadly; full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious: Lane and Trisha experienced the baleful effects of water pollution on their health.
baneful (BAYN fuhl) (adjective)
Causing harm, ruin, and death: On television, people have been witnessing the baneful results of war as Israel attacks Hamas in Gaza.
In ordinary use, baleful and baneful are interchangeable, although baneful also means "poisonous" and is normally applied to substances, causes, and influences that result in death.
The gathering clouds indicated that a baleful storm was approaching.
Some poisons are merely injurious, but there are others which are baneful.
No one is likely to be arrested if Colby gives a rival a baleful glance, but watch out if he gives someone a baneful dose of arsenic.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group B; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc.
(page 1)
Word Entries at Get Words:
“baleful”
baleful (adjective), more baleful, most baleful
1. Referring to something being threatening in a harmful way; dangerous, menacing, or detrimental: The use of drugs has had a baleful impact on many people around the world.
2. Characterized by appearing to be ominous or posing a destructive threat: The winter weather report presented the most baleful possibility of impending danger and a threat of serious harm to several areas of the country.
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2. Characterized by appearing to be ominous or posing a destructive threat: The winter weather report presented the most baleful possibility of impending danger and a threat of serious harm to several areas of the country.
The baleful clouds and the weather forecasts indicated that a powerful hurricane named "Sandy" could cause significant demolition and wreckage for many people.
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English Words in Action, Group B
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Referring to harmful threats or causing detrimental or destructive activities. (4)
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Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words
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