baleful
/ˈbeɪl.fəl/ adjective
Forms balefull
- adjective Portending evil; ominous.
- adjective (obsolete) Miserable, wretched, distressed, suffering.
- adjective (obsolete) Deadly, mortal.
Synonyms
foreboding portentous augurous bodeful boding dire disastrous divine fatal ill-boding ill-fated ill-omened ill-starred inauspicate inauspicious nefastous omenic ominous brooding presageful baneful forbidding menacing minacious minatory sinister threatening
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.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Full of deadly or pernicious influence; destructive. "Baleful enemies." Shak.
- adjective Full of grief or sorrow; woeful; sad. [Archaic]
Etymology [AS. bealoful. See Bale misery.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “baleful”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details