Master confusing words with ease
Baleful vs. Baneful
Baleful
/ˈbeɪlfl/Examples:
The wizard cast a baleful glance at the intruders.Dark clouds loomed with a baleful promise of storms.His voice carried a baleful undertone of threat.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Baneful
/ˈbeɪnfəl/Examples:
Her baneful influence led to the company's downfall.The wizard warned of the artifact's baneful powers.His baneful smile sent shivers down her spine.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Baleful conveys a sense of foreboding, as if something bad might happen.
- Baneful indicates something that is actively harmful or causing ruin.
- Remember that bale sounds like bail, as if you need to bail out from an impending disaster.
- Bane is associated with bane of my existence, indicating a destructive force.
- Both words are negative but one is more about feeling ill-willed and the other about actual harm.
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