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
Which word fits from context? Pick one, then reveal the answer. This is exactly how the GRE tests these pairs.
Question 1
The sentry fixed the intruder with a glare so threatening that the trespasser abandoned his plan and fled into the night.
Choose: baleful or baneful
Show answer
Answer: baleful
a "glare so threatening" is a menacing look = baleful; baneful means harmful/destructive, not a facial expression.
Question 2
Decades of unregulated dumping had a influence on the river, poisoning fish and rendering the water unsafe for any use.
Choose: baleful or baneful
Show answer
Answer: baneful
an influence that "poison[s]" and renders water unsafe is harmful/destructive = baneful; baleful (menacing look) does not fit an environmental effect.
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