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Definition of bane

bane

/beɪn/
bane
Adverb:banefully
•
Plural:banes
•
Adjective:baneful
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bane Lexical Profile

bane Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A persistent cause of great distress, annoyance, or ruin.

Example

"Commuting through heavy traffic every morning had become the bane of his existence."

2

Something, especially a poison, that causes death or destruction (now chiefly archaic except in compound plant names such as 'wolfsbane' or 'henbane').

Example

"Ancient herbalists carefully distinguished between healing remedies and deadly banes found in the forest."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

Most commonly used in the fixed construction 'the bane of someone's existence' (or life) to describe a persistent source of irritation or ruin.

• Rhymes for bane

• Nearby Words

bandwidth
bandy
bandy-bandy
bane
baneberry
bang
bangalore

Word Origin & Etymology

From Old English 'bana', meaning a murderer, slayer, or cause of ruin, derived from Proto-Germanic '*banon' (wound, death).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bane. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bane
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