 | Term | Definition |
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buxom |
full-bosomed; plump; jolly |
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buttress |
support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress |
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burnish |
make shiny by rubbing; polish |
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burlesque |
give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly |
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burgeon |
grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon |
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bureaucracy |
overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; ADJ. bureaucratic |
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buoyant |
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market |
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bungle |
mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior |
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bulwark |
strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends |
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bullion |
gold and silver in the form of bars |
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bugaboo |
bugbear; object of baseless terror |
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buffoonery |
clowning |
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buffet |
strike forcefully; slap; batter; knock out; N: table with food set out for people to server themselves; meal at which people help themselves to food that"s been set |
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bucolic |
rustic; pastoral |
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buccaneer |
pirate |
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brusque |
blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice |
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brunt |
main impact or shock ; Ex. brunt of the argument |
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browse |
graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually |
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browbeat |
bully; intimidate |
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brook |
tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream |
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brooch |
ornamental clasp; pin |
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brochure |
pamphlet |
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brocade |
rich, figured fabric |
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broach |
introduce as a subject; moot; open up |
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brittle |
hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation |
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bristling |
rising like bristles; showing irritation |
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brindled |
tawny or grayish with streaks or spots |
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brevity |
conciseness; shortness of duration |
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breadth |
width; extent |
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breach |
breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening; V. |
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brazen |
insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence |
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brawn |
human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness |
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bravado |
swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery |
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brandish |
wave around ; flourish |
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braggart |
boaster; bragger |
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braggadocio |
boasting |
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brackish |
somewhat saline |
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bowdlerize |
expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler |
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bovine |
cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm |
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bourgeois |
middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions |
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bountiful |
generous; graciously generous; showing bounty |
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bouillon |
clear beef soup |
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boorish |
rude; insensitive |
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boon |
blessing; benefit; something very helpful |
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bombastic |
pompous; using inflated language |
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bombardment |
attack ; V. bombard |
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bolt |
door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten ; gobble down |
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bolster |
support; reinforce |
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boisterous |
violent; rough; noisy |
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bohemian |
unconventional |
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bogus |
counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview |
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bode |
foreshadow; portend |
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bluster |
blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale |
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blurt |
utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement |
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blunder |
error; stupid mistake |
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bluff |
pretense ; deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured |
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bludgeon |
club; heavy-headed weapon; V. |
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blowhard |
talkative boaster; braggart |
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bloated |
swollen or puffed as with water or air |
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blithe |
gay; joyous |
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blighted |
suffering from a disease; destroyed |
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bleak |
cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing |
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blatant |
extremely obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy |
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blasphemy |
irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blaspheme; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege |
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blase |
bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored |
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blare |
loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light |
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blandishment |
flattery |
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bland |
soothing or mild ; agreeable; causing no trouble or offense |
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blanch |
bleach; whiten; make white or pale |
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bizarre |
fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional |
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bivouac |
temporary encampment; camp without tents; V. |
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billowing |
swelling out in waves; surging |
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bilk |
swindle; cheat |
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bilious |
suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated |
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bigotry |
stubborn intolerance |
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bifurcated |
divided into two branches; forked |
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biennial |
every two years |
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bicker |
quarrel |
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bicameral |
two-chambered as a legislative body |
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bevy |
large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets |
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betroth |
become engaged to marry |
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betray |
be unfaithful; reveal ; Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety. |
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betoken |
signify; indicate; be a sign of |
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bestow |
confer |
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bestial |
beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel |
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besmirch |
soil; defile; make dirty |
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besiege |
surround with armed forces; harass ; annoy continually |
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beset |
harass or trouble from all directions; hem in |
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beseech |
beg; plead with |
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berserk |
mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited |
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bereft |
deprived of ; lacking |
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bereavement |
state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft |
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bereaved |
deprived of |
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berate |
scold strongly |
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bequeath |
leave to someone by means of a will; hand down in his will; N. bequest |
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bent |
determined; Ex. bent on advancing in the business; N: natural talent or inclination |
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benison |
blessing |
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benign |
kindly; favorable; not malignant ; Ex. benign tumor |
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benevolent |
generous; charitable; having a wish to do good |
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benefit |
advantage; anything that brings help, 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 |
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beneficiary |
person entitled to benefits or proceeds of an insurance policy or will |
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beneficial |
helpful; useful; advantageous |
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beneficent |
kindly; doing good |
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benefactor |
gift giver; patron; person who does good or who gives money for a good purpose |
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benediction |
blessing |
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bemused |
confused; lost in thought; preoccupied |
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bemoan |
lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of |
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belligerent |
quarrelsome |
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bellicose |
warlike |
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belittle |
disparage; depreciate |
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belie |
contradict; give a false impression; disguise; Ex. The poor sales belied our high hopes; Ex. Her smile belies her true feeling of displeasure. |
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beleaguer |
besiege or attack ; harass; beset |
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belated |
delayed |
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belabor |
harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally; beat severely; attack physically |
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behoove |
be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do. |
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beholden |
obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude |
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behemoth |
huge creature; something of monstrous size or power |
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beguile |
deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile |
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begrudge |
envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn"t begrudge him his success. |
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beget |
father; become the father of; produce; give rise to |
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befuddle |
confuse thoroughly |
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beeline |
direct quick route |
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bedraggle |
wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled |
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bedizen |
dress with vulgar finery |
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beatitude |
blessedness; state of great happiness |
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beatific |
giving or showing bliss; blissful |
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bawdy |
indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd |
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bauble |
trinket; cheap jewel; trifle |
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bate |
let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate |
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bastion |
stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism |
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bask |
luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth |
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barterer |
trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money |
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barrister |
counselor-at-law or lawyer in the higher court of law; CF. bar |
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barrage |
barrier laid down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion; large number of questions or statements; Ex. a barrage of criticism |
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baroque |
highly ornate |
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barefaced |
shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie |
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bard |
poet |
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barb |
sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark |
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bantering |
joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N.V. banter |
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bane |
poison; cause of ruin; ADJ. baneful: harmful; poisonous |
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bandy |
discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with |
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banal |
hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; cliched |
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balmy |
soft and mild ; fragrant |
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balm |
something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees |
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ballast |
heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast |
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balk |
stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate |
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baleful |
evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look |
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bait |
harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals |
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baffle |
frustrate; perplex |
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badinage |
teasing conversation; banter; joking talk |
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badger |
pester; annoy continually with demands; persuade by asking again and again; Ex. The children badgered me into taking them into the cinema; N: a kind of mountain animal |
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bacchanalian |
drunken |
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babble |
chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N. |
