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

How to use baleful in a sentence

  • Irritably, he complies, but when the stewardess moves on, he reclines the chair again, muttering balefully under his breath.

  • His single huge eye glared down at us balefully from over the altar as we stood, overwhelmed in the presence.

  • “Be careful of your words, my little Yankee,” and the black eyes of the lady glittered balefully.

    A Daughter of the Union | Lucy Foster Madison
  • When Enslee left Persis and entered the men's coat-room, Forbes' eyes followed him balefully.

    What Will People Say? | Rupert Hughes
  • For he saw Dorgan watching Randerson with a bitter sneer on his lips, his eyes glittering coldly and balefully!

    The Range Boss | Charles Alden Seltzer
  • Out of her shriveled, unlovely face her eyes gleamed balefully.

    The Cinder Pond | Carroll Watson Rankin

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