Baleful
/ˈbeɪl.fəl/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Portending evil; ominous.
"The street-lamps burn amid the baleful glooms, Amidst the soundless solitudes immense Of ranged mansions dark and still as tombs."
- 2 Miserable, wretched, distressed, suffering. obsolete
"Thou balefull Messenger, out of my sight:"
- 3 Deadly, mortal. obsolete
"With balefull weedes, and precious Iuiced flowers, / The earth that's Natures mother, is her Tombe,"
Adjective
- 1 threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments wordnet
- 2 deadly or sinister wordnet
Example
More examples"Now fail the ships wherein Achates ride / and Abas; old Aletes' bark gives way, / and brave Ilioneus'. Each loosened side / through many a gaping seam lets in the baleful tide."
Etymology
From Middle English baleful, balful, baluful, from Old English bealuful, which was equivalent to bealu + -ful. By surface analysis, bale (“evil, woe”) + -ful. See bale for further etymology.