Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

baneful

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of baneful

causing or capable of causing harm

  • the incredibly baneful effect that drug addiction has on so many communities
Synonyms of baneful

adverse, bad, baleful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked
Words Related to baneful

hostile, inimical, unfriendly

contagious, deadly, infectious, infective, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, poisonous, venomous

insidious, menacing, ominous, sinister, threatening

hazardous, imperiling (or imperilling), jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, unsafe, unsound

nasty, noisome, unhealthful, unhealthy, unwholesome

destructive, fatal, killer, lethal, malignant, ruinous
Near Antonyms of baneful

advantageous, beneficial, useful

favorable, good, propitious

curative, healthful, healthy, helpful, palliative, remedial, salubrious, salutary, wholesome

secure, sound

benignant

noncorrosive, nondestructive, nonfatal, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpoisonous, nonpolluting, nontoxic, nonvenomous
Antonyms of baneful

anodyne, benign, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe

Synonym Discussion of baneful

pernicious, baneful, noxious, deleterious, detrimental mean exceedingly harmful. pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining.
    • the claim that pornography has a pernicious effect on society
baneful implies injury through poisoning or destroying.
    • the baneful notion that discipline destroys creativity
noxious applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind.
    • noxious chemical fumes
deleterious applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect.
    • a diet found to have deleterious effects
detrimental implies obvious harmfulness to something specified.
    • the detrimental effects of excessive drinking

Learn More about baneful

  1. See words that rhyme with baneful Dictionary: Definition of baneful Spanish Central: Translation of baneful Nglish: Translation of baneful for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up baneful? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

millefleur

having a pattern of small flowers

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. nebulous Lip reading, Brexit, and semantic uncertainty

  2. synergy Mueller files Cohen details.

  3. slumgullion From the broadcast of 'It Happened on Fifth Avenue'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games