bane

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a source of harm or ruin : curse
national frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankindD. C. Thomson
2
a
: death, destruction
… stop the way of those that seek my banePhilip Sidney
b
: woe
c
: poison
d
obsolete : killer, slayer

bane

2 of 3

verb

baned; baning

transitive verb

obsolete
: to kill especially with poison

bane

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland
: bone

Examples of bane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In Glee's second season, Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris) finally gets to meet Britney Spears, the bane of her existence, even if only in her imagination. EW.com, 25 Oct. 2023 Early in the game, projectile-throwing baddies prove to be the bane of your existence, but this is quickly counteracted by your first ability: a ring-like shield that absorbs anything thrown your way. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Clean farming has been the bane of upland bird hunting. Brent Frazee, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 Battling frizz is the bane of many a curly hair care routine, but this smoothing and cleansing shampoo from Curlsmith is here to save the day. Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 14 Jan. 2024 Depth charts are a bane of college coaches’ existence these days. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 29 Aug. 2023 Malachi says this while watching a young Black boy nicknamed Dodo assiduously clean the dance floor of Moshe’s popular jazz and blues hall — a beacon for Black entertainers and audiences, and a bane of Pottstown’s white establishment. Hawa Allan, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023 For another mom on Reddit, stickers have become the bane of her existence. Melissa Willets, Parents, 28 Dec. 2023 The personal essay has long been a staple of the application process at elite colleges, not to mention a bane for generations of high school students. Natasha Singer, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, "killer, agent of death, death," going back to Old English bana "killer, agent of death," going back to Germanic *banan- (whence also Old Frisian bana, bona "killer," Old High German bano "killer, murderer," Old Norse bani "murderer, violent death"), of uncertain origin

Note: Another Germanic derivative from the same base is represented by Old English benn (feminine strong noun) "wound, sore," Old Saxon beniwunda, Old Norse ben "wound," Gothic banja "blow, wound." Attempts have been made to derive the etymon from Indo-European *gwhen- "strike, kill" (see defend), but the general view is that initial *gwh could not yield b in Germanic. See further discussion in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Band 1, pp. 460-61.

Verb

derivative of bane entry 1

Noun (2)

early Scots and northern Middle English ban, bane, going back to Old English bān — more at bone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2d

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bane was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bane

Cite this Entry

“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bane. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bane

noun
ˈbān
1
2
: a source of harm, ruin, or unhappiness
greed is the bane of humanity

Medical Definition

bane

noun
: poison see henbane

More from Merriam-Webster on bane

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