noun
- the quality of being threatening, menacing, or harmful; malevolent influence
Usage: formal
Examples
- The balefulness in his stare made everyone uncomfortable.
- She sensed the balefulness of the storm approaching.
- The old mansion had an air of balefulness about it.
- His words carried a subtle balefulness that chilled the room.
- The balefulness of the dictator’s regime was felt throughout the country.
- There was an unmistakable balefulness in the way he smiled.