baleful


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.

baleful

malignant in intent; sinister; ominous; injurious; pernicious: His baleful actions were terrifying.
Not to be confused with:
baneful – causing death or destruction: a baneful invasion; poisonous: baneful castor beans
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

bale·ful

 (bāl′fəl)
adj.
1. Portending evil; ominous: The guard's baleful glare frightened the children.
2. Harmful or malignant in intent or effect: a baleful influence.

[Middle English, from Old English bealoful : bealu, bale, evil + -ful, -ful; see -ful.]

bale′ful·ly adv.
bale′ful·ness n.
Usage Note: Baleful and baneful overlap in meaning, but baleful usually applies to something that is menacing or foreshadows evil: a baleful look. Baneful most often describes that which is actually harmful or destructive: baneful effects of their foreign policy.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

baleful

(ˈbeɪlfʊl)
adj
1. harmful, menacing, or vindictive
2. archaic dejected
ˈbalefully adv
ˈbalefulness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bale•ful

(ˈbeɪl fəl)

adj.
1. menacing or malign; threatening evil: baleful glances.
2. Archaic. wretched; miserable.
[before 1000; Middle English; Old English bealofull. See bale2, -ful]
bale′ful•ly, adv.
bale′ful•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.baleful - deadly or sinisterbaleful - deadly or sinister; "the Florida eagles have a fierce baleful look"
maleficent - harmful or evil in intent or effect
2.baleful - threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developmentsbaleful - threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments; "a baleful look"; "forbidding thunderclouds"; "his tone became menacing"; "ominous rumblings of discontent"; "sinister storm clouds"; "a sinister smile"; "his threatening behavior"; "ugly black clouds"; "the situation became ugly"
alarming - frightening because of an awareness of danger
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

baleful

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

baleful

adjective
Strongly suggestive of great harm, menace, or evil:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ذو تأْثيرٍ سيّء
škodlivýzlý
dårligskadelig
illur, skaîlegur; óheillavænlegur
pražūtingaipražūtingas
kaitīgsļaunspostošs

baleful

[ˈbeɪlfʊl] ADJ [influence, presence] → funesto, siniestro; [look, stare] → torvo, hosco
to give sb a baleful lookdirigir a algn una mirada torva or hosca, mirar a algn de forma torva or hosca
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

baleful

[ˈbeɪlfʊl] adj [stare, glance] → funeste; [influence, presence] → maléfique
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

baleful

adj
(= evil)böse; look (of bull etc)stier
(= sad)traurig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

baleful

[ˈbeɪlfʊl] adj (look) → malevolo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

baleful

(ˈbeilful) adjective
evil or harmful. a baleful influence.
ˈbalefully adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
When the Inquiring Soul had completed his course of instruction he declared himself the Ahkoond of Swat, fell into the baleful habit of standing on his head, and swore that the mother who bore him was a pragmatic paralogism.
His companions in the baleful work seemed to have taken on something of his feeling.
Had it not been for the baleful star on the white tower that early walk would have been a delight to Anne and Gilbert.
So frightful was the situation--the mysterious light burned with so silent and awful a menace; the noxious plants, the trees that by common consent are invested with a melancholy or baleful character, so openly in his sight conspired against his peace; from overhead and all about came so audible and startling whispers and the sighs of creatures so obviously not of earth--that he could endure it no longer, and with a great effort to break some malign spell that bound his faculties to silence and inaction, he shouted with the full strength of his lungs!
The pitiless billows engulf him!--So perish sailor and bark; And this, with her baleful singing, Is the Lorelei's gruesome work.
"And then a light flashed out upon the darkness of the tower chamber, and there stood Sarkoja, her gleaming, baleful eyes fixed in a frenzy of loathing and contempt upon my mother.
He sprang on the horse of a Blackfoot warrior whom he had slain, and escaping at full speed, brought home the baleful tidings to his village.
Again the lord of the wilderness roared, turning his baleful gaze upon the altar.
However, being well filled, he contented himself with walking round the terror-stricken savage, emitting low, menacing growls the while he kept his flaming, baleful eyes riveted upon the black.
Its lighthouse beacon flared through the mist like a baleful star, and was answered by another in the far horizon.
It was a baleful choice and seemed to hold some secret and subtle association with the situation and general progress of events; or at any rate there was apparently some obscure reason for the energy and vim with which the scholars shouted the choral invitation again and again:--
The Jew sate with his mouth a-gape, and his eyes fixed on the savage baron with such earnestness of terror, that his frame seemed literally to shrink together, and to diminish in size while encountering the fierce Norman's fixed and baleful gaze.