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“baneful”
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:
“baneful”
baneful (adjective), more baneful; most baneful
A reference to that which causes trouble, damage, or unhappiness: There are many baneful consequences for the people of Syria; including the deaths and wounding of women, children, and men who have nothing to do with the uprising that has been going on there.
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This entry is located in the following unit:
English Words in Action, Group B
(page 2)
Relating to serious damage or destruction; bad or evil. (1)