1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a dark, baleful sky portending a tornado
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2
as in adverse
causing or capable of causing harm
contends that the violent content of so much of popular entertainment is a baleful influence on our society
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3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
a medicine that is beneficial in small doses but baleful in large
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of baleful
Women are thought of as contaminants in the heya and arm candy outside it; the sponsors exert a baleful commercial pressure on the fighters.
—
Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
At another, this baleful ribbon emanates from the shell of a totaled BMW 325iS, the very model of car once associated in the region with gang terror — elsewhere shown cruising and spinning on dusty roads, like urban harbingers of doom amid rural tranquility.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
The effect is to rub our faces in the self-destructive horror of the heroine’s impulses and to shift that baleful sense of the erotic’s dark power from a disturbing subtext to a more sensationalized foreground.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The company, Wave, is taking aim at AAT deficiency, marked by scarce or defective alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein that neutralizes baleful enzymes released by immune cells.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2025
At another, this baleful ribbon emanates from the shell of a totaled BMW 325iS, the very model of car once associated in the region with gang terror — elsewhere shown cruising and spinning on dusty roads, like urban harbingers of doom amid rural tranquility.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
The effect is to rub our faces in the self-destructive horror of the heroine’s impulses and to shift that baleful sense of the erotic’s dark power from a disturbing subtext to a more sensationalized foreground.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
The company, Wave, is taking aim at AAT deficiency, marked by scarce or defective alpha-1 antitrypsin, a protein that neutralizes baleful enzymes released by immune cells.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for baleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baleful
Adjective
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The fall in the dollar and rise in bond yields that went with it have been truly ominous.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
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The signs were ominous on the opening hole as Dunlap began his round with a hooked drive into the gallery on his way to a bogey.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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So far, Lilly said the adverse effects of its new pill are consistent with GLP-1s, a class of medications primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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In the study, the researchers measured patients’ impulse control behavior disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness, blood pressure changes and weight changes, and found that the adverse effects linked to tavapadon were no different from those who received a placebo.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Here’s what the bone analysis revealed about the man and how the researchers determined what was behind the lethal bite markings.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2025
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James Osgood, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:35 p.m. Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison, according to a statement from Gov. Kay Ivey.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Or, more likely, The Sentry is simply the benevolent mirror image of that shadowy, sinister entity that emerges after Bob Reynolds ingests a super serum.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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However, what was happening behind the scenes was more sinister than what the public thought.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Confusing a congressional edict to end segregation with DEI policies that have no genesis in the Black Civil Rights movement to end Jim Crow is historically ignorant, disrespectful, and harmful to the urgent need to focus on resolving continuing racial inequalities in public education.—
Raymond Pierce,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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For every person who happily sets 4:00 a.m. alarms on race morning, there’s another convinced the sport is too hard, too boring, or a waste of time, if not outright harmful.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, the Trump administration is still optimistic about its efforts to end the deadly conflict.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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As tensions between India and Pakistan reach a boiling point following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has publicly offered Tehran's assistance in mediating the crisis.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2025
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With its stout bastions and menacing defense towers, Kaunas Castle is the epitome of a medieval citadel.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Archer: Not having a rink in L.A. has been really detrimental to the skating community.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
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Furthermore, the study highlights cultural contingencies, indicating that the detrimental effects of workplace aggression are amplified in cultures characterized by high individualism and masculinity.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Baleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baleful. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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