BANE Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

bane

noun

ˈbān

Definition of bane

as in curse

a source of harm or misfortune regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in poison

a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bane Unpredictable weather is always the bane of eclipse chasing — and today's event has been no different. — Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026 But what was designed as the solution has instead become the most contentious problem in tennis, a poster child for the law of unintended consequences and the bane of many players’ existence. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 25 July 2026 United Airlines is getting rid of some of its middle seats, the bane of any airline passenger. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Finger joint strains are the bane of long hours spent daily on the computer, which is what led Melvin Wong, founder and engineer at Airra Labs, to build a better computer mouse – the Rotary Mouse, which is currently on Kickstarter. — Shirl Leigh july 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for bane

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane

Noun

Depp’s character pleads for help to save her husband from his curse.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
But maybe, Atlanta native and Midtown resident John Henry Hinkel suggested, Hollywood’s departure is more a blessing than a curse.

— Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of curse

Noun

Investigators stressed that the poison was not the potassium cyanide used in the Tylenol murders.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Most self-help books say anger and grudges are self-defeating — there’s that line everybody uses that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

— Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of poison

Noun

Connecticut advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where it was swept by the Detroit Shock, coached by Bill Laimbeer, who became Thibault’s nemesis.

— Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026
Keiko Agena played Rory’s best friend Lane, while Liza Weil played her nemesis Paris.

— Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of nemesis

Noun

Instead, the defense sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.

— MICHAEL CASEY, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
The growing range of treatment options marks a shift from seeking a cure to focusing on avoiding the disease entirely.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

In late May, about 50,000 people in Orange County were evacuated because, at a Garden Grove site operated by GKN Aerospace, tanks holding a volatile hazardous chemical called methyl methacrylate were at risk of exploding or leaking toxics.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Munoz is an independent toxicologist working in collaboration with MAHA against pesticides and toxics.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026