Baleful vs Baneful
baleful
menacing/threatening (a look)
baneful
harmful/destructive
How to tell them apart
baLEful = a menacing LEer, an evil-eyed LOOK. baNEful = a poison or baNE that harms and destroys.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means menacing/threatening (a look). That word is ______.”
Choose: baleful or baneful
Show answer
Answer: baleful
Baleful means menacing/threatening (a look), which matches menacing/threatening (a look). Baneful means harmful/destructive, so it is the wrong choice here.
Dig deeper
Never mix up baleful and baneful again
Learn 1,000+ GRE words through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.