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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.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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