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