Four infernal rivers that disgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful streams.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Full of grief or sorrow; woeful; sad. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
baleful — baleful, baneful These two somewhat literary words are not much used in everyday language; baleful is slightly better known perhaps than baneful. Since they overlap in meaning, they tend to be confused. Baleful (from bale, ‘misery’) means ‘having … Modern English usage
baleful — O.E. bealu full dire, wicked, cruel, from bealu harm, injury, ruin, evil, mischief, wickedness, a noxious thing, from P.Gmc. *balwom (Cf. O.S. balu, O.Fris. balu evil, O.H.G. balo destruction, O.N. bol, Gothic balwjan to torment ), from PIE root… … Etymology dictionary
baleful — I adjective bad, baneful, calamitous, damaging, dangerous, deadly, deleterious, despiteful, destructive, detrimental, dire, disadvantageous, evil, harmful, heinous, hurtful, ill omened, inauspicious, insalubrious, lethal, malefic, malevolent,… … Law dictionary
baleful — maleficent, malefic, malign, *sinister Analogous words: threatening, menacing (see THREATEN): *ominous, portentous, fateful: hellish, *infernal: diabolical, *fiendish, devilish Antonyms: beneficent Contrasted words: * … New Dictionary of Synonyms
baleful — [adj] menacing calamitous, deadly, dire, evil, foreboding, harmful, hurtful, injurious, malevolent, malignant, noxious, ominous, pernicious, ruinous, sinister, threatening, venomous, vindictive, woeful; concepts 537,570 Ant. advantageous,… … New thesaurus
baleful — ► ADJECTIVE 1) menacing. 2) having a harmful effect. DERIVATIVES balefully adverb. ORIGIN from an Old English word meaning evil … English terms dictionary
baleful — [bāl′fəl] adj. [ME < OE bealoful < bealu,BALE2 + ful, full] 1. harmful or threatening harm or evil; ominous; deadly 2. Archaic sorrowful; wretched SYN. SINISTER balefully adv. balefulness n … English World dictionary
baleful — adjective Date: before 12th century 1. deadly or pernicious in influence < baleful effects > 2. foreboding or threatening evil < a baleful look > Synonyms: see sinister • balefully adverb • ba … New Collegiate Dictionary
baleful — [[t]be͟ɪlfʊl[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n Baleful means harmful, or expressing harmful intentions. [LITERARY] He had a baleful look. Derived words: balefully ADV ADV with v He watched balefully as Cassandra walked towards him … English dictionary
baleful — adjective /beɪlfəl/ a) Portending evil; ominous. round he throws his baleful eyes, that witnessed huge affliction and dismay. b) Miserable, wretched, distressed, suffering … Wiktionary
