baleful
full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious.
Obsolete. wretched; miserable.
Origin of baleful
1Other words for baleful
Other words from baleful
- bale·ful·ly, adverb
- bale·ful·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with baleful
- baleful , baneful
Words Nearby baleful
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use baleful in a sentence
About this “sharp, sleazy sluice of Southern Gothic horror,” the Guardian writes that it has “a stubborn, almost literary feel for character that accumulates a baleful momentum by the time the finale hits.”
New movies to stream this week: ‘Prey’ and more | Michael O'Sullivan | August 4, 2022 | Washington PostTo that end, Morana, was in many ways, the baleful representation of the advent of winter – the goddess signifying the cycle of death.
The Most Enigmatic Slavic Gods and Goddesses | Dattatreya Mandal | March 13, 2022 | Realm of HistoryHe consequently dines secretly with his old friend Bunker and, through that trickster’s baleful influence, soon finds himself in a Scottish castle, passing himself off as its new laird, Lord Tulliwuddle.
Cheer yourself up with light comedies from another era | Michael Dirda | March 31, 2021 | Washington PostIf you’re ever at a loss to account for why this country is gripped by hatred and belief in baleful falsehoods, click on a few of them.
Ten omissions from Fox Nation’s remembrance of Rush Limbaugh | Erik Wemple | February 18, 2021 | Washington PostShe will unearth more than their remains in a quest that becomes a journey of baleful discovery and painful self-discovery.
Holocaust Horrors Haunt the Films ‘Ida’ And ‘The German Doctor’ | Jack Schwartz | May 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A cry I was quite unable to suppress escaped me, and the creature turned on the instant and stared at me with baleful eyes.
Three More John Silence Stories | Algernon BlackwoodAs the animal crouched at Bascomb's feet, his baleful eyes turned in the boy's direction, and he growled menacingly.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. MatthewsNita groaned, and looked down with loathing eyes at the baleful jewel that hung loosely on her wasted hand.
They Looked and Loved | Mrs. Alex McVeigh MillerI feared, the "luck of the Le Moynes" and their baleful motto.
The Rose of Old St. Louis | Mary DillonHe had toiled until he held the baleful genie in a glass vessel partially filled with water, and the sprite could not be seen.
Steam Steel and Electricity | James W. Steele
British Dictionary definitions for baleful
/ (ˈbeɪlfʊl) /
harmful, menacing, or vindictive
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
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