Standard Lemma guide

baneful

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Poisonous, deadly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Harmful, injurious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

deadly or sinister

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: baleful

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

exceedingly harmful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deadly, pernicious, pestilent

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From bane + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гибелен (gibelen) — Deadly
  • Bulgarian: пагубен (paguben) — Deadly
  • Finnish: kohtalokas — Deadly
  • French: funeste — Deadly
  • Greek: θανάσιμος (thanásimos) — Deadly
  • Greek: θανατηφόρος (thanatifóros) — Deadly
  • Greek: μοιραίος (moiraíos) — Deadly
  • Ancient Greek: μοιραῖος (moiraîos) — Deadly
  • Japanese: 致死の (chishi no) — Deadly
  • Japanese: 命取りの (inochitori no) — Deadly
  • Finnish: tuhoisa — Exceedingly harmful
  • French: funeste — Exceedingly harmful
  • Greek: ολέθριος (oléthrios) — Exceedingly harmful
  • Greek: επιζήμιος (epizímios) — Exceedingly harmful
  • Greek: καταστρεπτικός (katastreptikós) — Exceedingly harmful
  • Irish: urbhadhach — Exceedingly harmful
  • Japanese: 有害な (yūgai na) — Exceedingly harmful
  • Polish: zgubny — Exceedingly harmful
  • Ukrainian: згу́бний (zhúbnyj) — Exceedingly harmful