a. Forms: 1 bealu-, bealofull, 2–3 balufull, 3 baluhful, 3–5 balful(l, 4 ballefull, 3– baleful(l. [OE. bealu-full, f. bealu BALE sb.1 + FULL. Until recent times almost exclusively poetic; still chiefly literary.]

1

  1.  Full of malign, deadly or noxious influence; pernicious, destructive, noxious, injurious, mischievous, malignant: a. physically or generally.

2

a. 1000.  Crist (Grein), 259. Se bealofulla [= the devil] hyneþ heardlice.

3

c. 1220.  St. Marher., 10. To beoren me into his balefule hole.

4

a. 1230.  Ancr. R., 114. So baluhful & so bitter!

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c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, I. 167. These balfull bestes were … ffull flaumond of fyre.

6

1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iii. 8. Balefull weedes, and precious Iuiced flowers.

7

1676.  Black Prince, in Harl. Misc. (1793), 51. Great flocks of ravens, and other baleful birds of prey.

8

1712.  Swift, Wond. Proph., Wks. 1755, III. I. 173. This baleful dog-star.

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1800–24.  Campbell, To Sir F. Burdett, v. His hate is baleful, but his love is worse.

10

1862.  Rawlinson, Anc. Mon., I. i. 32. The baleful simoon sweeps across the entire tract.

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  b.  morally.

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c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 215. Tend mine heorte and uorbern al þat is baluful þer inne.

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c. 1300.  Lay-Folks Mass-bk., B. 404. Þat may lese alle baleful bandes.

14

1589.  Greene, Menaph. (Arb.), 22. The balefull laborinth of despaire.

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1597.  Lok, in Farr’s S. P. (1845), I. 138. Through baleful lust of gold.

16

1751.  Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), III. lxxxi. 109. O baleful Envy! thou self-tormenting fiend.

17

1863.  W. Phillips, Speeches, xvi. 362. The potent and baleful prejudice of color.

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  2.  subjectively: a. Full of pain or suffering, painful. Obs.

19

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 181. On þisse liue we beð on balfulle swinche for adames gulte.

20

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Jan. Such stormie stoures do breede my balefull smart.

21

  b.  Unhappy, wretched, miserable; distressed, sorrowful, mournful. arch.

22

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., C. 979. Þe balleful burde [Lot’s wife], þat neuer bode keped.

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c. 1420.  Anturs of Arth., xlii. The balefulle birde blenked on his blode.

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1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 124. The ȝoutting, ȝouling, and the bailfull beir Tha maid.

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1596.  Drayton, Legends, iii. 14. That Balefull sounds immovably do’st breathe.

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1812.  J. Wilson, Isle of Palms, I. 533. Baleful spirits barr’d from realms of bliss.

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