bane

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbān 

1

: a source of harm or ruin : curse

… national frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankind.

—D. C. Thomson

2

a

: death, destruction

… stop the way of those that seek my bane …

—Philip 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

Synonyms of bane

Noun (1)

• curse
• nemesis

Examples of bane in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Lakers arrived in Denver with a 17-5 record in games involving clutch time — the same situations that have been the bane of Denver’s existence since Jokic returned from a knee injury. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026

Now that temperatures are climbing and the ground is beginning to thaw, potholes have become the bane of almost every driver on the road. —Paul Burton, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

Perennials are just starting to send out new buds and shoots, lawns are starting to green, and the weeds—the bane of every gardener's existence—are really coming to life. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026

Time, skill and effort are the bane of the busy active person or family wanting healthier meal options beyond the TV dinner or meal delivery service. —New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2026

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 *g^when- "strike, kill" (see defend), but the general view is that initial *g^wh 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

Rhymes for bane

• ane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign
• gain

Kids Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān

1

: poison entry 1 sense 1

2

: a source of harm, ruin, or unhappiness

greed is the bane of humanity

Medical Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān 

: poison see henbane