a person or thing that ruins or spoils: Gambling was the bane of his existence.
a deadly poison (often used in combination, as in the names of poisonous plants): wolfsbane; henbane.
death; destruction; ruin.
Obsolete. that which causes death or destroys life: entrapped and drowned beneath the watery bane.
Origin of bane
before 1000; Middle English; Old English bana slayer; cognate with Old Norse bani death, murderer, Old Frisian bona murder, Old Saxon bano murderer, Old High German bano slayer, bana death; akin to Old English benn,Gothic banja wound
Words nearby bane
bandy, bandy-bandy, bandy-legged, bandy legs, Bandywallop, bane, baneberry, baneful, Banerjea, Banff, Banff National Park
You may never have heard of it, but it is the bane of new brands trying to create brand awareness or make headways into industries dominated by big guns.
Inbound marketing for brand awareness: Four up-to-date ways to do it|Ali Faagba|September 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
“Any more uncertainty on any level is just the bane of these state agencies’ existence,” Evermore said.
There are only 2 states paying Trump’s $300 unemployment benefits so far. Here’s where the rest stand|Lee Clifford|August 25, 2020|Fortune
Bane said this is the real reason for SIGAR reluctance to let the Shadman case go.
Special Forces’ $77M ‘Hustler’ Hits Back|Kevin Maurer|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hockney saw the object that would become the bane of office secretaries everywhere as bringing him closer to his art.
The Many Lives of Artist David Hockney|William O’Connor|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This problem has a long history and is the bane of drug prevention experts.
Is The Media Marketing Pain Pills to Addicts?|Maia Szalavitz|March 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The agenda is likely to focus on Syria, which has been a bane to the pope since taking office last March.
Putin to Meet Pope Francis in Rome|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Bigness is the bane of any creative or responsive activity, and publishing is no exception.
5 Ways to Fix Book Publishing|Anis Shivani|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That bashfulness, however, which has been my bane through life, prevented me.
Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris|Henry Labouchre
Then said Sigurd, "The time is unborn wherein Regin shall be my bane; nay, rather one road shall both these brothers fare."
The Story of the Volsungs, (Volsunga Saga)|Anonymous
His son's trouble caused him a great deal of sorrow: in fact, the bad conduct of Pearl was the bane of his life.
All Adrift|Oliver Optic
Their main idea is to keep up for their own purposes that centralization which has so long been the bane of this country.
Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris|Henry Labouchre
Ambition, the bane of the leaders of states, led them both to ruin.
Historic Tales, vol 10 (of 15)|Charles Morris
British Dictionary definitions for bane (1 of 2)
bane1
/ (beɪn) /
noun
a person or thing that causes misery or distress (esp in the phrase bane of one's life)
something that causes death or destruction
a fatal poison
(in combination)ratsbane
archaicruin or distress
Word Origin for bane
Old English bana; related to Old Norse bani death, Old High German bano destruction, death