bane
bane — noun
1. something or someone that causes continuous trouble, difficulty, or unhappiness
something or someone that causes continuous trouble, difficulty, or unhappiness over a long period of time.
Noise from the construction site was the bane of Nora's life for six months.
pattern: the bane of + possessive + life/existence
For many drivers, rush-hour traffic is the bane of their daily commute.
Tunde called his brother the bane of his existence when the boy borrowed his things.
Mira dreaded the team meetings, which were the bane of her Tuesday afternoons at work.
Wei's old laptop was the bane of his workdays, crashing several times a week.
- blessing
something that brings happiness or benefit instead of trouble
文法句型
the bane of + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
The noun is almost always used in the fixed phrase 'the bane of [someone's life / existence].' The full expression is far more common than the noun alone.
常見錯誤
bane — verb
- banepresent simple I / you / we / they
- banes3rd person singular
- baning-ing form
- banedpast simple
1. (old use) to kill someone, especially by giving them poison.
(old use) to kill someone, especially by giving them poison.
In old legends, wicked characters would bane their enemies with poisoned wine.
archaic register: bane + with + poison method
The medieval manuscript tells how an advisor plotted to bane the king.
A poem describes a queen who tried to bane her rival with a poisoned ring.
Historians found records of a servant who was paid to bane a wealthy landowner.
文法句型
bane + [person]
用法筆記
This verb is now very rare and only appears in historical or literary contexts. Modern English uses 'poison' instead.