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 This fungal disease is the bane of rose gardeners everywhere, particularly in humid climates. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026 For many Georgians, the roads around Atlanta are not only essential for getting around the state's capital city, but also the bane of their existence. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 May 2026 Triangle-shaped, prolific, and ever-challenging to manage, nutsedge is a bane to many gardeners’ existences because the underground nutlets formed within its roots establish new plants for every single plant that grows. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026 Karen Fukuhara, who plays the regenerating supe Kimiko, said her final scene was with Erin Moriarty and Karl Urban (who plays Billy Butcher, leader and sometimes bane of The Boys). — ABC News, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bane

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bane

Noun

Brazil’s European curse at the World Cup continues thanks to Norway’s biggest star.

— Andy Clayton, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Not obsessed One Wish Willow Nikki, but actual Nikki, now awoken from her curse when Bear dies.

— Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of curse

Noun

Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup chipped the ball toward the goal from the left side, and Haaland leaped, swung his neck and headed it into the net, outjumping Brazil’s 6-foot-3 defender Gabriel Magalhães, his Premier League nemesis.

— Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
On the big screen, the British actor was George Clooney’s villainous nemesis in Tomorrowland (2015) and appeared in the starry ensemble cast of The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019).

— Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 July 2026

Definition of nemesis

Noun

In Orange County, its vector control district reported its first disease-carrying mosquitoes in Newport Beach on June 2.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
The disease does not generally spread from person to person, but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building's water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.

— Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026

Definition of disease

Noun

Portside residents face higher cancer risk from air toxics than 93% of the nation.

— Jose Franco Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2026
Asparagus releases a chemical toxic to root knot nematodes, a microscopic round worm that creates multiple disease and growth problems in tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes and peppers.

— Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 May 2026