Barron GRE word
list --- b |
| babble |
v. talk in a way that is difficult or impossible to understand |
| bacchanal |
n. (dated or fml ) bout of noisy, drunken merrymaking . bacchana-lian adj |
| bacchanalia |
orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus |
| bacchanalian |
[ bacchanalia: ] [often cap] orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus |
| backslide |
v. lapse from good ways into one's former bad ways of living |
| badger |
n. animal of the weasel family, grey with black and white stripes on its head, living in holes in the ground and moving about at night . |
| badinage |
n. playful teasing; banter ; |
| baffle |
v. be too difficult for to understand; puzzle |
| bait |
n. food or imitation food put on a hook to catch fish or placed in nets, traps, etc to attract prey |
| baleful |
adj. threatening evil or harm; menacing |
| balk |
n. thick, roughly-squared wooden beam |
| ballast |
n. heavy material placed in a ship's hold to keep it steady |
| balm |
n. sweet-smelling oil or ointment obtained from certain types of tree, used for soothing pain or for healing , |
| balmy |
adj. (of air) gentle and pleasantly warm |
| banal |
adj. commonplace; uninteresting |
| bandy |
v. (idm ) bandy `words (with sb) (dated ) exchange words, etc, esp when quarrelling |
| bane |
n. the bane of sb's existence/life cause of sb's ruin or trouble |
| bank |
n. land sloping up along each side of a river or canal; ground near a river |
| bantering |
adj. playfully teasing |
| bar |
n. piece of solid material |
| barb |
n. point of an arrow, a fish-hook, etc curved backwards to make it difficult to pull out . |
| bard |
n. minstrel |
| barefaced |
adj. impudent; shameless |
| bargain |
n. agreement in which both or all sides promise to do sth for each other |
| baroque |
adj. n highly ornate style fashionable in the arts (esp architecture) in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries , |
| barrage |
n. barrier built across a river to store water for irrigation, prevent flooding, etc |
| barrister |
n. lawyer who has the right to speak and argue as an advocate in higher lawcourts |
| barterer |
[ barter: ] to trade (goods, services, etc.) in exchange for other goods, services, etc., rather than for money |
| base |
n. lowest part of sth, esp the part on which it rests or is supported |
| bask |
v. ~ sit or lie enjoying warmth |
| bastard |
n. illegitimate child |
| bastion |
n. part of a fortification that projects from the rest |
| bate |
let down; restrain |
| battalion |
n. army unit composed of several companies and forming part of a regiment or brigade |
| bauble |
n. showy ornament of little value |
| bawdy |
adj. amusing in a coarse or indecent way |
| bearing |
n. way of standing, walking, etc; deportment |
| beatific |
adj. showing or giving great joy and serenity; blissful |
| beatitude |
n. great happiness; blessedness ; |
| bedizen |
dress with vulgar finery |
| bedraggle |
wet thoroughly |
| beeline |
the most direct route between two places |
| befuddle |
confuse thoroughly |
| beget |
v. (arch ) be the father of (sb) |
| begrudge |
v. resent or be dissatisfied with |
| beguile |
charm (sb) |
| behemoth |
huge creature; something of monstrous size or power |
| beholden |
adj. ~ to sb (dated or fml ) owing thanks or indebted to sb |
| behoove |
n. suited to ; incumbent upon |
| belabor |
to explain or insist on excessively |
| belated |
adj. coming very late or too late |
| beleaguer |
v. besiege |
| belie |
v. give a wrong or an untrue idea of (sth) |
| belittle |
v. make seem unimportant or of little value |
| bellicose |
adj. eager to fight; warlike; aggressive |
| belligerent |
adj. waging war; engaged in a conflict |
| bemoan |
v. show sorrow for or complain about (sb/sth) |
| bemused |
adj. bewildered or confused |
| benediction |
n. blessing, esp one said before a meal or at the end of a church service |
| benefactor |
n. person who gives money or other help to a school, hospital, charity, etc |
| beneficent |
adj. showing active kindness; generous; charitable |
| beneficial |
adj. ~ having a helpful or useful effect; advantageous |
| beneficiary |
n. person who receives sth, esp one who receives money, property, etc when sb dies |
| benefit |
n. profit; gain; future good (used esp with the vs and preps shown) |
| benevolent |
adj. ~ being, or wishing to be, kind, friendly and helpful |
| benign |
adj. kindly; gentle |
| benison |
blessing |
| bent |
n. ~ (for sth/doing sth) natural skill (at sth); liking or inclination (for sth/doing sth) |
| bequeath |
v. ~ sth (to sb) arrange, by making a will, to give (property, money etc) (to sb) when one dies |
| berate |
v. scold sharply |
| bereaved |
[ bereave: ] [usually foll by of] to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp. through death |
| bereavement |
n. state of being bereaved |
| bereft |
adj. ~ (fml ) deprived of (a power or quality) |
| berserk |
adj. wild with rage |
| beseech |
v. ~ sb (for sth) ask sb earnestly; implore sb; entreat sb |
| beset |
v. (fml ) surround (sb/sth) on all sides; trouble constantly; threaten |
| besiege |
v. surround with armed forces in order to make it surrender |
| besmirch |
v. dishonour (sb/sth); slander |
| bestial |
adj. of or like a beast; brutish; cruel |
| bestow |
v. ~ sth (fml ) present sth as a gift (to sb); confer |
| betoken |
v. be a sign of (sth); indicate |
| betray |
v. ~ sb/sth hand over or show sb/sth disloyally (to an enemy) |
| betroth |
become engaged to marry |
| bevy |
n. large group |
| beware |
v. ~ (of sb/sth) be cautious (of sb/sth); take care (about sb/sth) ; |
| bewitch |
v. put a magic spell on |
| bicameral |
adj. having two legislative chambers |
| bicker |
v. ~ (over/about sth) quarrel about unimportant things |
| bid |
v. ~ (sth) (for sth); esp US ~ (sth) (on sth) offer (a price) in order to buy sth, esp at an auction |
| biennial |
adj. happening every second year |
| bifurcated |
[ bifurcate: ] to fork or divide into two parts or branches |
| bigot |
n. person who holds strong beliefs and opinions, and is intolerant of anyone who disagrees |
| bigotry |
n. bigoted attitude or behaviour |
| bilious |
adj. caused by or suffering from too much bile |
| bilk |
v. ~ sb of sth) avoid paying money to sb; cheat sb (out of sth) |
| billow |
n. large wave |
| billowing |
[ billow: ] a large sea wave |
| bitter |
adj. having a sharp taste like aspirin or unsweetened coffee; not sweet |
| bivouac |
n. temporary camp without tents or any other cover, esp used by soldiers or mountaineers |
| bizarre |
adj. strange in appearance or effect; grotesque; eccentric ; |
| blackball |
v. prevent from joining a club or group by voting against him in a ballot |
| blanch |
v. prepare by putting briefly in boiling water; scald |
| bland |
adj. gentle or casual in manner; showing no strong emotions; suave ; |
| blandishment |
n. (fml ) flattering or coaxing words and actions |
| blare |
v. ~ make a loud harsh sound like a trumpet |
| blasphemous |
adj. showing contempt or irreverence for God and sacred things |
| blasphemy |
n. blasphemous behaviour or language |
| blatant |
adj. very obvious; unashamed; flagrant |
| bleak |
adj. (of a landscape) bare; exposed; wind-swept |
| blemish |
n. mark or stain that spoils the beauty or perfection of sb/sth |
| blight |
n. disease that withers plants |
| blighted |
(adj.) causing frustration or destruction |
| bliss |
n. perfect happiness; great joy |
| blithe |
adj. happy and carefree; casual |
| bloated |
adj. swollen with fat, gas or liquid |
| blotch |
n. large discoloured m | n. mark or stain that spoils the beauty or perfection of sb/sth |
| blight |
n. disease that withers plants |
| blighted |
(adj.) causing frustration or destruction |
| bliss |
n. perfect happiness; great joy |
| blithe |
adj. happy and carefree; casual |
| bloated |
adj. swollen with fat, gas or liquid |
| blotch |
n. large discoloured mark, usu irregular in shape |
| blowhard |
a very boastful and talkative person |
| bludgeon |
n. short thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon |
| blue |
adj. having the colour of a clear sky or the sea on a sunny day |
| blues |
[ blue: ] any of a group of colours, such as that of a clear unclouded sky, that have wavelengths in the range 490--445 nanometres. Blue is the complementary colour of yellow and with red and green forms a set of primary colours |
| bluff |
v. try to deceive by pretending to be stronger, braver, cleverer, etc than one is |
| blunder |
n. stupid or careless mistake |
| blunt |
adj. without a sharp edge or a point |
| blurt |
v. blurt sth out say sth suddenly and tactlessly |
| blush |
v. ~ (at sth) become red in the face (because of sth) |
| bluster |
v. blow fiercely or in strong gusts |
| bode |
v. be a sign of (sth coming) |
| bog |
n. wet spongy ground formed of decaying vegetation |
| bogus |
adj. not genuine; false |
| Bohemian |
n, adj having or displaying a very informal and unconventional way of life , |
| boisterous |
adj. noisy, lively and cheerful |
| bolster |
n. long pillow, usu shaped like a roll, across the head of a bed |
| bolt |
n. metal bar that slides into a socket to lock a door, window, etc |
| bombardment |
n. |
| bombast |
n. pompous and meaningless words |
| bombastic |
adj. pompous and empty |
| bookish |
adj. fond of reading; studious |
| boon |
n. request or favour (used esp with the vs shown) |
| boor |
n. rough, rude or insensitive man |
| boorish |
adj. of or like a boor |
| boost |
v. increase the strength or value of help or encourage (sb/sth) |
| botch |
v. ~ sth spoil sth by poor or clumsy work; repair sth badly |
| bouillon |
n. thin clear soup or broth; stock ; |
| bound |
v. form the boundary of (sth); limit |
| bountiful |
adj. giving generously |
| bourgeois |
adj. of or relating to the property-owning middle class |
| bout |
n. ~ short period of a specified activity |
| bovine |
adj. of or relating to cattle |
| bowdlerize |
expurgate |
| brackish |
adj. slightly salty |
| brag |
v. ~ (about/of sth) talk with too much pride (about sth); boast |
| braggadocio |
a:empty boasting b:arrogant pretension:COCKINESS |
| braggart |
n. person who brags |
| braid |
n. number of threads of silk, cotton, etc woven together in a narrow band for decorating clothes and material |
| brand |
n. particular make of goods or their trade mark |
| brandish |
v. wave in a triumphant or threatening way; display |
| bravado |
n. display of boldness |
| brave |
adj. (of a person) ready to face and endure danger, pain or suffering; having no fear; courageous |
| brawl |
n. noisy quarrel or fight |
| brawn |
n. strong muscles; muscular strength |
| brawny |
adj. strong and muscular |
| brazen |
adj. shameless; insolent |
| breach |
n. breaking or neglect |
| breadth |
n. distance or measurement from side to side; width |
| breed |
v. (of animals) produce young |
| brevity |
n. shortness or briefness |
| bridle |
n. part of a horse's harness that goes on its head, including the metal bit for the mouth, the straps and the reins |
| brim |
n. top edge of a cup, bowl, glass, etc |
| brindled |
adj. brown with streaks of another colour |
| brink |
n. edge at the top of a steep high place, eg a cliff |
| brisk |
adj. quick; active; energetic |
| bristle |
n. short stiff hair |
| bristling |
rising like bristles; showing irritation |
| brittle |
adj. hard but easily broken; fragile |
| broach |
v. make a hole in to draw off the liquid inside; open (a bottle, etc) to use the contents |
| brocade |
n. fabric woven with a raised pattern, esp of gold or silver threads |
| brochure |
n. booklet or pamphlet containing information about sth or advertising sth |
| broil |
v. cook (meat) on a fire or gridiron; grill |
| bromide |
n. chemical compound of bromine, used in medicine to calm the nerves |
| brooch |
n. ornament with a hinged pin and clasp, worn on women's clothes , |
| brood |
n. all the young birds or other animals produced at one hatching or birth |
| brook |
n. small stream |
| browbeat |
v. ~ sb (into doing sth) frighten sb with stern looks and words; bully ; intimidate |
| browse |
v. examine books in a casual, leisurely way |
| bruise |
n. injury caused by a blow to the body or to a fruit, discolouring the skin but not breaking it |
| brunt |
n. bear the brunt of sth |
| brusque |
adj. rough and abrupt; curt |
| buccaneer |
n. pirate |
| bucolic |
adj. of country life or the countryside; rustic ; |
| buffet |
n. counter where food and drink may be bought and consumed, esp in a railway station or on a train |
| buffoon |
n. ridiculous but amusing person; clown |
| buffoonery |
n. ridiculous behaviour; clowning ; |
| bugaboo |
bugbear; object of baseless terror |
| bulge |
n. rounded swelling; outward curve |
| bulk |
n. size, quantity or volume, esp when great |
| bullion |
n. gold or silver in bulk or bars, before it is made into coins, etc |
| bully |
n. person who uses his strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people |
| bulwark |
n. wall, esp of earth, built as a defence |
| bump |
v. ~ against/into sb/sth knock or strike sth with a dull-sounding blow; collide with sth |
| bungle |
v. do badly or clumsily; spoil (a task) through lack of skill |
| buoyant |
adj. (of an object) able to float |
| bureaucracy |
n. system of government through departments managed by State officials, not by elected representatives |
| burgeon |
v. (of a plant) put out leaves; sprout |
| burlesque |
n. comic or exaggerated imitation; parody |
| burly |
adj. with a strong heavy body; sturdy |
| burnish |
v. make smooth and shiny by rubbing; polish |
| bust |
n. sculpture of a person's head, shoulders and chest |
| buttress |
n. support built against a wall . |
| buxom |
adj. (of women) plump and healthy-looking; having a large bosom ; |
