baneful

[beyn-fuhl]

adjective

1. destructive; pernicious.

   a baneful superstition.

   Synonyms: toxic, noxious, injurious, harmful

2. Archaic.,  deadly; poisonous.

   baneful herbs.

baneful

/ ˈbeɪnfʊl /

adjective

1. archaic,  destructive, poisonous, or fatal

Other Word Forms

• banefully adverb
• banefulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of baneful¹

First recorded in 1570–80; bane + -ful

Example Sentences

He set out to shame that baneful narrative.

From Washington Post

“I believe,” concluded Scott, “if Congress should at any time be of the opinion that a state of slavery was a quality inadmissible in America, they would not be barred...of prohibiting this baneful quality.”

From Literature

The impact these soldiers had on the South was baneful.

From New York Times

Washington sternly warned against the “baneful effects of the spirit of party” in his farewell address.

From New York Times

Ferguson’s “baneful effects lasted longer than any other civil rights decision in American history.”

From New York Times