| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| baleful |
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| SYLLABICATION: | bale·ful |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  b l f l |
| ADJECTIVE: | 1. Portending evil; ominous. See synonyms at sinister. 2. Harmful or malignant in intent or effect. | | OTHER FORMS: | baleful·ly —ADVERB
baleful·ness —NOUN
| | 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.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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