ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›B›baleful
ISEE/SSAThard
baleful
threatening harm or conveying a sinister influence
Synonyms
- menacing
- sinister
- threatening
Antonyms
- benign
- benevolent
- reassuring
baleful in a sentence
A baleful silence settled over the court before the verdict was read.
Dark clouds cast a baleful shadow across the abandoned farm.
Where it comes from
From Old English bealu, meaning 'evil or harm.'
Memory hook
BALEFUL sounds like 'bale full': a bale full of danger is baleful.
Read it in context
- The Cipher at Court History