bane
Source of ruin
Bane is something that causes ruin, death, or persistent misery.
Poisons were once called banes—wolfsbane, henbane, ratsbane.
The word now appears mostly in the phrase bane of my existence, meaning a constant source of annoyance or frustration: Spreadsheets are the bane of my existence.
As an adjective, baneful means harmful or destructive.
Malevolent incantation
- maledictionVerbal invocation of harm
- jinxCurse bringing misfortune
- anathemaIntensely detested thing
- imprecationSpoken wish for harm
whammy · spell · evil eye · affliction · scourge · plague · nemesis · torment
Cause of aggravation
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- irritantSource of vexation
- annoyanceState of being bothered
- plagueDeadly epidemic disease
scourge · thorn · bugbear · nightmare · menace · pest · hassle · headache
Complete destruction or collapse
- demiseCessation of existence
- undoingCause of destruction
- destructionAct of completely ruining
- nemesisPersistent source of ruin
defeat · collapse · failure · decline · overthrow · disaster · catastrophe · wreckage
Biological-origin harm agent
- venomInjected animal poison
- arsenicToxic metalloid element
- hemlockPoisonous umbellifer or conifer
- belladonnaToxic herb yielding atropine
nightshade · wolfsbane · henbane · strychnine · ricin · deadly · lethal · noxious
hex
Malevolent incantation
- maledictionVerbal invocation of harm
- jinxCurse bringing misfortune
- anathemaIntensely detested thing
imprecation · whammy · spell · evil eye · affliction · scourge · plague · nemesis · torment · vexation
nuisance
Cause of aggravation
plague · scourge · thorn · bugbear · nightmare · menace · pest · hassle · headache · ordeal
ruin
Complete destruction or collapse
- demiseCessation of existence
- undoingCause of destruction
- destructionAct of completely ruining
nemesis · defeat · collapse · failure · decline · overthrow · disaster · catastrophe · wreckage · dissolution
toxin
Biological-origin harm agent
belladonna · nightshade · wolfsbane · henbane · strychnine · ricin · deadly · lethal · noxious · venomous
- banned booksLiterature officially prohibited
- book banningProhibiting access to texts
- banned substancesMaterials forbidden by law
- bane of someone's existenceSource of ongoing misery
- bane of someone's lifeOngoing source of suffering
- shadow banningCovert visibility restriction online