Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BANE
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BANE:
Say it "BANE."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Because we're checking out the word bane today, I bet you guys are expecting me to start with a picture of Bane, the DC Comics supervillain.
However: nope. He is way, way too scary for me to even look at. Seriously, check him out at your own risk. He's terrifying.
And he lives up to his name: a bane is something terrifying, something destructive, something deadly, something that's like a black beast, or a b_______re: the person or thing you hate and fear the most. Can you recall that French term?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
We may have taken the word "bane" from Old English, where it meant "the devil" and "a killer, or a slayer."
In English today, a bane is something that ruins, poisons, or kills things--or just makes people miserable.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "It's the bane of his existence;" "Selfishness is the bane of all life (Josiah G. Holland)."
Other forms:
banes, baneful, banefully, banefulness
how to use it:
Pick the clear, common, dramatic word "bane" to be serious, or to exaggerate, as you talk about how truly awful some particular thing is to some particular person.
Often we use the phrases "the bane of (someone's) life" and "the bane of (some particular kind of person)," as in "Because of his allergy, peanuts are the bane of his life" and "Typecasting is the bane of actors."
examples:
"Raspberries and blackberries grow in large swaths of the country, in unruly patches that are the bane of landscapers."
— Tamar Haspel, Washington Post, 24 April 2020
"Here the likability question arises, whether readers will invest in characters they find unpleasant. It is the bane of any author interested in complexity and nuance... Michael especially is a tough sell. He's the kind of drunk begging to be face-punched. Thankfully, someone obliges."
— Jean Thompson, New York Times, 7 July 2020
has this page helped you understand "bane"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "bane" without saying "curse" or "plague."
try it out:
Noah Webster said, "Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe."
Talk about whether you agree or disagree. Is money the bane of bliss?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"Huh? Those are some big words. I've never heard you use them before."
"Nonsense, my vocabulary is infinitely expanding."
review this word:
1. The opposite of BANE is
A. BOON.
B. BEHEMOTH.
C. BRIC-A-BRAC.
2. The Seattle Times discussed why a jazz festival _____, citing some "classic banes:" _____.
A. championed new artists .. creativity and experimentation
B. fell apart .. "volunteer burnout and the failure to professionalize"
C. united a city .. "local businesses," local media, and "an army of volunteers"
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Say it "BANE."
Because we're checking out the word bane today, I bet you guys are expecting me to start with a picture of Bane, the DC Comics supervillain.
We may have taken the word "bane" from Old English, where it meant "the devil" and "a killer, or a slayer."
Part of speech:
Pick the clear, common, dramatic word "bane" to be serious, or to exaggerate, as you talk about how truly awful some particular thing is to some particular person.
"Raspberries and blackberries grow in large swaths of the country, in unruly patches that are the bane of landscapers."
Explain the meaning of "bane" without saying "curse" or "plague."
Noah Webster said, "Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1. The opposite of BANE is
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