| Term | Definition |
|---|
| bard | poet |
| n barefaced | shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie |
| s unregenerate | making no attempt to change one's bad practices |
| n baroque | highly ornate;rococo |
| barrage | barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism |
| barrister | counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; CF. bar; paraclete;attorney;intercessor |
| s solicitor | lawyer in the lower court of law |
| barterer | trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money |
| n bask | luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth |
| s luxuriate | take pleasure in great comfort |
| n bastion | stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism; fortress |
| n bate | let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate;OP release |
| n bauble | trinket; cheap jewel; trifle;tinsel |
| n bawdy | indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd |
| n beatific | giving or showing bliss; blissful |
| s bliss | complete happiness; ADJ. blissful |
| n beatitude | blessedness; state of great happiness |
| s mystic | of hidden meaning and spiritual power; Ex. mystic ceremonies; N. CF. mysticism |
| n bedizen | dress with vulgar finery |
| s finery | beautiful clothes for a special occasion |
| n bedraggle | wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled; unkempt; dishevelled |
| n beeline | direct quick route |
| n befuddle | confuse thoroughly |
| s fuddle | make stupid or confused as with alcholic drink; N. in a fuddle: confused |
| beget | father; become the father of; produce; give rise to |
| n begrudge | envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn't begrudge him his success. |
| s grudge | deep feeling of dislike; Ex. grudge fight; V. |
| n beguile | deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile |
| n behemoth | huge creature; something of monstrous size or power |
| n beholden | obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude |
| n behoove(behove) | be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do. |
| n belabor | harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically |
| n belated | delayed |
| n beleaguer | besiege or attack (with an army); harass; beset |
| n belie | contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure. |
| belittle | disparage; depreciate |
| bellicose | warlike |
| belligerent | quarrelsome |
| n bemoan | lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of |
| n bemused | confused; lost in thought; preoccupied |
| benediction | blessing |
| benefactor | gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose |
| beneficent | kindly; doing good |
| beneficial | helpful; useful; advantageous |
| beneficiary | person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
| n benefit | advantage; anything that brings helpl, advantage, or profit; money provided by the government to the people; fund-raising public entertainment; Ex. unemployment benefit; V: receive benefits; be beneficial to; give benefits |
| benevolent | generous; charitable; having a wish to do good |
| benign | kindly; favorable; not malignant (disease); Ex. benign tumor |
| benison | blessing |
| bent | determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination |
| bequeath | leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest |
| n berate | scold strongly |
| n bereavement | state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft |
| n bereaved | deprived of (someone beloved through death) |
| n bereft | deprived of (something valuable); lacking |
| n berserk | mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited |
| beseech | beg; plead with |
| n beset | harass or trouble from all directions; hem in |
| s hem | surround tightly so that movement is impossible; Ex. hem in; N. |
| besiege | surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually |
| n besmirch | soil; defile; make dirty |
| n bestial | beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel |
| bestow | confer |
| n betoken | signify; indicate; be a sign of |
| s token | outward sign; Ex. a token of our gratitude |
| n betray | be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety. |
| n betroth | become engaged to marry |
| n bevy | large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets |
| bicameral | two-chambered as a legislative body |
| bicker | quarrel |
| biennial | every two years |
| n bifurcated | divided into two branches; forked |
| n bigotry | stubborn intolerance |
| s bigot | one who is intolerant (in matters of religion or politics) |
| s intolerant | not willing to accept ways of thinking different from one's own; CF. tolerant; CF. tolerate |
| n bilious | suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated |
| n bilk | swindle; cheat |
| n billowing | swelling out in waves; surging |
| s billow | large wave of water; a great swell or surge (of smoke); V: surge, swell, roll in billows |
| s swell | long wave of water that moves continuously without breaking; V. |
| s surge | powerful movement of or like a wave; V. |
| n bivouac | temporary encampment; camp without tents; V. |
| bizarre | fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional |
| n blanch | bleach; whiten; make white or pale |
| n bland | soothing or mild (food); agreeable; causing no trouble or offence |
| n blandishment | flattery |
| n blare | loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light |
| s screech | unpleasant high sharp sound; shriek; V. |
| s dazzle | make blind with a sudden intense light; amaze; fill with wonder |
| n blas\'e | bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored |
| n blasphemy | irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege |
| n blatant | extremely (offensively) obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy |
| n bleak | cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing |
| n blighted | suffering from a disease; destroyed;jinxed-unfortunate |
| s blight | plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy |
| n blithe(blithesome) | gay; joyous |
| n bloated | (unpleasantly) swollen or puffed as with water or air |
| n blowhard | talkative boaster; braggart |
| n bludgeon | club; heavy-headed weapon; V. |
| n bluff | pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured |
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