bane

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbān

Synonyms of bane next

: a source of harm or ruin : curse

national frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankind—

D. C. Thomson

: death, destruction

… stop the way of those that seek my bane …—

Philip Sidney

: woe

: poison

obsolete : killer, slayer

bane

2 of 3

verb

baned; baning

transitive verb

obsolete

: to kill especially with poison

bane

3 of 3

Examples of bane in a Sentence

Noun (1) regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

This thing has become the bane of my existence ... GREWAL takes it and places it on her mobile desktop. —

Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024 The work has become the bane of residents' existence. —

Steph Solis, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024 Group chats are both the bane of my existence and the light of my life. —

Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024 Close losses have been the bane of their season so far, but games like Wednesday’s can help with stacking wins and quelling trade chatter, even if for just another day. —

James Jackson, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bane

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, "killer, agent of death, death," going back to Old English bana "killer, agent of death," going back to Germanic *banan- (whence also Old Frisian bana, bona "killer," Old High German bano "killer, murderer," Old Norse bani "murderer, violent death"), of uncertain origin

Note: Another Germanic derivative from the same base is represented by Old English benn (feminine strong noun) "wound, sore," Old Saxon beniwunda, Old Norse ben "wound," Gothic banja "blow, wound." Attempts have been made to derive the etymon from Indo-European *g^when- "strike, kill" (see defend), but the general view is that initial *g^wh could not yield b in Germanic. See further discussion in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Band 1, pp. 460-61.

Verb

derivative of bane entry 1

Noun (2)

early Scots and northern Middle English ban, bane, going back to Old English bān — more at bone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2d

Verb

1578, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of bane was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bane. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān

: poison entry 1 sense 1

: a source of harm, ruin, or unhappiness

greed is the bane of humanity

Medical Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān

: poison see henbane

Last Updated: 23 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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bane

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Synonyms

Examples of bane in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near bane

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition