bane

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbān 

1

: a source of harm or ruin : curse

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

—D. C. Thomson

2

a

: death, destruction

… stop the way of those that seek my bane …

—Philip Sidney

b

: woe

c

: poison

d

obsolete : killer, slayer

bane

2 of 3

verb

baned; baning

transitive verb

obsolete

: to kill especially with poison

bane

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland

: bone

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• affliction
• curse
• nemesis
• scourge

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

Noun

These little piles around my home are the bane of my existence. —Sari Hitchins, Parents, 17 Mar. 2025

And then mentioned the bane of many drivers (including me), a flat tire repair kit that Tesla offers. —Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2025

The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) remain the bane of the club, inhibiting their ability to strengthen. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025

Liu is the New York Times editor who makes Connections, the online puzzle that is both the blessing and the bane of my mornings—and the days of millions of other people who regularly spend time tangling with Liu’s creation. —Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 28 Nov. 2024

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

Rhymes for bane

• ane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign
• gain

Kids Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān

1

: poison entry 1 sense 1

2

: a source of harm, ruin, or unhappiness

greed is the bane of humanity

Medical Definition

bane

noun

ˈbān 

: poison see henbane