Antonyms for baleful

Grammar : Adj

Spell : beyl-fuhl

Phonetic Transcription : ˈbeɪl fəl

Definition of baleful

Origin : Old English bealu-full "dire, wicked, cruel," from bealu "harm, injury, ruin, evil, mischief, wickedness, a noxious thing," from Proto-Germanic *balwom (cf. Old Saxon balu, Old Frisian balu "evil," Old High German balo "destruction," Old Norse bol, Gothic balwjan "to torment"), from PIE root *bheleu- "to beat." During Anglo-Saxon times, the noun was in poetic use only (e.g. bealubenn "mortal wound," bealuðonc "evil thought"), and for long baleful was extinct, but it was revived by modern romantic poets. Related: Balefully.

adj menacing

Example sentences :

Of all mortal possessions they are the most useless, mischievous, and baleful.
Extract from : « Imogen » by William Godwin

THEN the baleful fiend its fire belched out, and bright homes burned.
Extract from : « Beowulf » by Anonymous

Richard paled under the baronet's baleful, half-sneering glance.
Extract from : « Mistress Wilding » by Rafael Sabatini

Gian Maria returned him no answer, but his baleful eye was upon Martino.
Extract from : « Love-at-Arms » by Raphael Sabatini

As he disappeared her beautiful face darkened with a baleful cloud.
Extract from : « Victor's Triumph » by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth

This was, of course, Mary Grey, bound upon her baleful errand.
Extract from : « Victor's Triumph » by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth

Bill cast a baleful glance at his rival and thrust 247 out his chin insolently.
Extract from : « Hidden Water » by Dane Coolidge

There was not an artifice I did not practise to cure myself of this baleful infatuation.
Extract from : « Gerald Fitzgerald » by Charles James Lever

The regard they fixed on his face was baleful in its intentness.
Extract from : « The Rainy Day Railroad War » by Holman Day

This notion was so baleful that Gustavus felt it best to answer it.
Extract from : « The Swedish Revolution Under Gustavus Vasa » by Paul Barron Watson

Synonyms for baleful

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019