noun

bane

bayn

noun

A person or thing that causes constant trouble or ruin.

"Traffic on the ring road is the bane of my daily commute."

"His younger brother had always been the bane of his existence."

How to Use Bane

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething or someone that repeatedly causes trouble, harm, or misery.

Common mistake

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase "the bane of [someone's] life/existence" rather than standing alone.

Common pairings

the bane of my life bane of his existence

Word Forms

baned past tense, banes plural, bane plural, baned plural, Banes plural, banes singular, bane singular, baned singular, banest singular, banedst singular, baneth singular

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Traffic on the ring road is the _____ of my daily commute.

Etymology

From Old English bana, meaning a killer or cause of death, from a Germanic root tied to slaying — the word has softened over time from "someone's literal killer" to "someone's biggest annoyance."

Rhymes for bane

cane lane Dane mane vane pane sane wane Jane fane Zane kane

See all rhymes for bane →