baleful

[ beyl-fuhl ]

adjective

1. full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious.

   Synonyms: deadly, wicked, evil, detrimental, injurious, malign, harmful

2. Obsolete. wretched; miserable.

baleful

/ ˈbeɪlfʊl /

adjective

1. harmful, menacing, or vindictive
2. archaic.
   dejected

Derived Forms

• ˈbalefully, adverb
• ˈbalefulness, noun

Other Words From

• baleful·ly adverb
• baleful·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of baleful¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bealofull. See bale ², -ful

Example Sentences

They will all trace back to Wednesday, back to Dublin, back to the Europa League final, and they will all take exactly the same, baleful form: What if?

From New York Times

But if a favorable disqualification ruling were joined by a ruling for Trump on immunity, it would take a baleful bite out of the court’s already tattered reputation and the future of our democracy.

From Salon

The baleful precedent of Jan. 6 and the countless death threats to judges, politicians, election workers and others coming from Trump’s supporters suggest we should assume the possibility of a worst-case scenario.

From Salon

As you twitch anxiously in the baleful light of a disposable phone, trading away your rich embodiment of joy and toil for the oily promise of more time saved, which you use only to stare blankly in dissociative haze, maybe you're the obsolete technology.

From Salon

A muscled baleful Spider person voiced by Oscar Isaac is present to impress on Gwen and Miles that being a superhero often involves hard choices as to who to save — and who you can’t.

From Seattle Times