Barron GRE word list --- b To add words to your word list in Pronunciation Patterns, please double click the word and choose Add. Click here to learn how. |
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| 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 | |
| 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 ; | |