baleful

[ beyl-fuhl ]
See synonyms for baleful on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious.

  2. Obsolete. wretched; miserable.

Origin of baleful

1
before 1000; Middle English; Old English bealofull.See bale2, -ful

Other words for baleful

Other words from baleful

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

Words that may be confused with baleful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for baleful

baleful

/ (ˈbeɪlfʊl) /


adjective
  1. harmful, menacing, or vindictive

  2. archaic dejected

Derived forms of baleful

  • balefully, adverb
  • balefulness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012