baleful

adjective bale·ful \-fəl\

: threatening harm or evil

: harmful or deadly

Full Definition of BALEFUL

: deadly or pernicious in influence <baleful effects>

: foreboding or threatening evil <a baleful look>

— bale·ful·ly \-fə-lē\ adverb

— bale·ful·ness \-fəl-nəs\ noun

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First Known Use of BALEFUL

before 12th century

Related to BALEFUL

Synonyms: ominous, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, menacing, minatory, portentous, sinister, threatening

Antonyms: unthreatening

Synonym Discussion of BALEFUL

sinister, baleful, malign mean seriously threatening evil or disaster. sinister suggests a general or vague feeling of fear or apprehension on the part of the observer <a sinister aura haunts the place>. baleful imputes perniciousness or destructiveness to something whether working openly or covertly <exerting a corrupt and baleful influence>. malign applies to what is inherently evil or harmful <the malign effects of racism>.

Rhymes with BALEFUL

wailful

Learn More About BALEFUL

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "baleful"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "baleful"

Nglish: Translation of "baleful" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "baleful" for Arabic speakers

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