the bane of (one's) life

the bane of (one's) life

The source or cause of one's misfortune, unhappiness, frustration, or anxiety, usually used hyperbolically. I swear, this project is the bane of my life. I've been working on it for months and still haven't made any real progress! Jane has been constantly annoying me all week. She's been the bane of my life!See also: bane, life, of