GRE word list B

babble:
chatter idly or foolishly; To talk foolishly or idly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone.
Syn: prattle, twaddle, chatter;
Ant: unarticulate, taciturn;
Ex:Babies babble before they can talk.
bacchanal: noisy party with a lot of drinking
backslide revert (to bad habits); N. reverter
backwards and forwards; Ex. reciprocate his invitation by inviting him; N. reciprocity: reciprocal relationship; mutual interchange of advantages between two groups; Ex. reciprocity in trading rights
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
badinage teasing conversation; banter; joking talk
baffle
frustrate; perplex
bait harass; tease; torment; Ex. badger baiting; N: food or other lure used to catch fish or trap animals
baleful evil; malignant in intent or effect; deadly; having a malign influence; portending evil; ominous; threatening; Ex. baleful look
balk stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue; foil; stop or get in the way of; frustrate
ballast heavy substance used to add stability or weight; V. supply with ballast
balm something that relieves pain; oily liquid with a pleasant smell from trees
balmy soft and mild (of air); fragrant
banal hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality; clich\’ed
bandy discuss lightly or glibly; discuss in a frivolous manner; exchange (words) heatedly; quarrel; Ex. bandy words with
bane
posion; cause of ruin; ADJ. baneful: harmful; poisonous
bank heap; piled-up mass; embankment; lateral tilting (as of an aircraft in turning); V: pile up; protect with a bank; tilt in turning
bantering joking talk; good-naturedly ridiculing; N.V. banter
bar railing in a courtroom; legal profession; vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; Ex. prisoner at the bar; V: shut in or out with bars; forbid; exclude; CF. barrister
barb sharp projection from fishhook, arrow, or other object; openly cutting remark
bard poet
barefaced shameless and noticeable; blatant; bold; unconcealed; having no covering on the face; Ex. barefaced lie
bargain agreement between two groups or people; something for sale at a price advantageous to the buyer; V: negotiate; trade; Ex. bargaining power
baroque highly ornate
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
barterer trader; V. barter: trade; exchange good for other goods rather than money
base contemptible; morally bad; inferior in value or quality; Ex. base motives/conduct; Ex. base metal such as iron
bask: luxuriate; take pleasure in warmth
bastion stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism
bate let down; lessen the force of; moderate; restrain; Ex. with bated breath; CF. abate
battalion army unit made up of four or more companies
bauble trinket; cheap jewel; trifle
bawdy: indecent; obscene; about sex in a rude funny way; CF. bawd
bearing deportment; connection
beatific giving or showing bliss; blissful
beatitude blessedness; state of great happiness
bedizen dress with vulgar finery
bedraggle wet thoroughly; ADJ. bedraggled: draggled
beeline direct quick route
befuddle confuse thoroughly
beget father; become the father of; produce; give rise to
begrudge envy; give or allow unwillingly; grudge; Ex. We shouldn’t begrudge him his success.
beguile deceive; mislead or delude; cheat; pass time pleasantly; charm or attract; Ex. beguiling smile
behemoth huge creature; something of monstrous size or power
beholden obligated; indebted; owing thanks; obliged or indebted from gratitude
behoove(behove) be suited to; be incumbent upon; be right and necessary; Ex. It behooves one to do.
belabor harp on; dwell on tediously; explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree;
assail
verbally; beat severely; attack physically
belated delayed
beleaguer besiege or attack (with an army); harass; beset
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
bemoan lament; moan for; express sorrow or disapproval of
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
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
berate scold strongly
bereaved deprived of (someone beloved through death)
bereavement state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved; state of being bereaved or bereft
bereft
deprived of (something valuable); lacking
berserk mad with violent anger; frenzied; madly excited
beseech beg; plead with
beset harass or trouble from all directions; hem in
besiege surround with armed forces; harass (with requests); annoy continually
besmirch soil; defile; make dirty
bestial beastlike; brutal; inhuman; very cruel
bestow confer
betoken signify; indicate; be a sign of
betray be unfaithful; reveal (unconsciously or unwillingly); Ex. Her trembling hands betray her anxiety.
betroth become engaged to marry
bevy large group; Ex. a bevy of starlets
beware be cautious (of)
bewitch cast a spell over; captivate completely
bicameral
two-chambered as a legislative body
bicker quarrel
bid command; utter (a greeting); offer as a price; N: offer of a price; amount offered; earnest effort to gain something; Ex. bid for freedom
biennial every two years
bifurcated divided into two branches; forked
bigot one who is intolerant (in matters of religion or politics)
bigotry stubborn intolerance
bilious suffering from indigestion; sick from having too much bile; irritable; easily irritated
bilk swindle; cheat
billow
large wave of water; a great swell or surge (of smoke); V: surge, swell, roll in billows
billowing swelling out in waves; surging
biting sharply painful to the body or mind; Ex. biting wind/remarks
bitter having a sharp biting taste; ?; causing sharp pain to the body or mind; filled with resentment, disappointment, or other unpleasant feelings; Ex. bitter wind/sorrow/tears
bivouac temporary encampment; camp without tents; V.
bizarre fantastic; violently contrasting; noticeably odd; strikingly unconventional
blackball vote against (an applicant); ostracize; N: negative vote
blanch bleach; whiten; make white or pale
bland soothing or mild (food); agreeable; causing no trouble or offence
blandishment: flattery
blare loud or harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
blase bored with pleasure or dissipation; uninterested or bored
blasphemy irreverence; sacrilege; cursing; bad language about God or holy things; V. blasphem; ADJ. blasphemous; CF. sacrilege
blatant extremely (offensively) obvious; loudly offensive; Ex. blatant lie; N. blatancy
bleak cold or cheerless; frigid; unlikely to be favorable; depressing
blemish mar; spoil the beauty or perfection of; N: flaw or defect (that spoils perfection); Ex. blemishes in the crystal; CF. unblemished
blight plant disease; V: infect with blight; ruin; destroy
blighted suffering from a disease; destroyed
bliss
complete happiness; ADJ. blissful
blithe(blithesome) gay; joyous
bloated (unpleasantly) swollen or puffed as with water or air
blotch spot; blot; CF. blot+botch
blowhard talkative boaster; braggart
bludgeon club; heavy-headed weapon; V.
blue gloomy; depressed
blues state of depression or melancholy; style of slow, mournful music (evolved from southern Black American songs)
bluff
pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff; ADJ: rough but good-natured
blunder error; stupid mistake
blunt having a dull edge; abrupt and frank in speech or manner; brusque; V: make or become blunt
blurt utter impulsively from nervousness or excitement
blush become red in the face (from embarrassment or shame); become red or rosy; N.
bluster blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily; bully; speak in a noisy or bullying manner; CF. breeze, gust, gale
bode foreshadow; portend
bog soft wet land; V: hinder or be hindered; Ex. bogged down in the mud
bogus counterfeit; not authentic; intentionally false; Ex. bogus interview
Bohemian: unconventional (in an artistic way)
boisterous violent; rough; noisy
bolster support; reinforce
bolt door bar; fastening pin or screw; length of fabric; large roll of cloth; V: dash or dart off; fasten (a | door); gobble down
bombardment attack (as with missiles or bombs); V. bombard
bombast grandiloquent, pompous speech
bombastic pompous; using inflated language
bookish fond of books and reading
boon
blessing; benefit; something very helpful
boor rude, insensitive person
boorish rude; insensitive
boost lift by pushing up from below; increase; raise; N: push upward; increase
botch mismanage; blow
bouillon clear beef (or meat) soup
bound leap or spring; limit or confine; constitute the limit of; Ex. bounded by Canada; N: leap or jumping; boundary; ADJ: certain; having a duty to do something (legally or morally); confined by bonds; Ex. We are bound to be late; Ex. I am bound to
bountiful generous; graciously generous; showing bounty
bourgeois middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions
bout match; short period of great activity; Ex. wrestling bout; bout of drinking/flu
bovine cowlike; placid and dull; slow-thinking; calm
bowdlerize expurgate; CF. Thomas Bowdler
brackish somewhat saline
brag boast
braggadocio boasting
braggart boaster; bragger
braid: plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair)
brand trademark; mark burned on the hide of an animal; mark burned into the flesh of criminals; mark of disgrace; V: mark with a brand; give a lasting bad name; stigmatize; Ex. The press branded him a liar.
brandish wave around (a weapon); flourish
bravado swagger; assumed air of defiance; false show of bravery
brave face courageously; Ex. brave the storm
brawl noisy quarrel
brawn human muscle; muscular strength; sturdiness
brawny muscular; having well-developed muscles
brazen insolent; without shame; bold; Ex. brazen lie; V: face with bold self-assurance or with unshamed confidence
breach breaking of contract or duty; fissure or gap; opening
breadth
width; extent
breed produce young; rear; bring up; produce (an undesirable condition); N: kind or sort of animal or plant
brevity conciseness; shortness of duration
bridle harness fitted about a horse’s head (used to restrain); curb; check; V: put a bridle on; control or restrain; show anger
brim uppermost edge of a cup; projecting rim (as on a hat); Ex. The glass was full to the brim; V: be full to the brim
brindled tawny or grayish with streaks or spots (of animals)
brink edge (at the top of a cliff); Ex. on the brink of the Grand Canyon
brisk quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor
bristle short stiff hair; V: (hair or fur) stand up stiffly
bristling rising like bristles; showing irritation
brittle hard but easily broken; difficult; unstable; Ex. brittle situation
broach:
introduce as a subject; moot; open up
brocade rich, figured(patterned) fabric
brochure pamphlet
broil cook by direct heat; N.
bromide platitude; chemical compound used to calm excitement
brooch ornamental clasp; pin
brood sit on in order to hatch; think deeply or worry anxiously; N: the young of certain animals; group of young birds hatched at one time
brook tolerate; endure; Ex. brook no interference; N: small stream
browbeat bully; intimidate
browse graze; feed on growing grass; skim or glance at casually
bruise injure without breaking the skin; N.
brunt main impact or shock (of an attack or blow); Ex. brunt of the argument
brusque blunt; abrupt; curt; not wanting to waste time being nice
buccaneer pirate
bucolic rustic; pastoral
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
buffoon: stupid person; clown
bugaboo bugbear; object of baseless terror
bulge protruding part; swelling of a surface; Ex. The apple made a bulge in his pocket; V: swell outward; protrude
bulk size or volume (esp. when very large); main part; Ex. The bulk of the work has already been done; ADJ. bulky: having great size
bullion gold and silver in the form of bars
bully one who is habitually cruel to weaker people; V.
bulwark strong wall built for defense; earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
bump hit or knock against with force; N.
bungle mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior
buoyant
able to float; cheerful and optimistic; N. buoyancy; Ex. buoyancy of wood/water/American market
bureaucracy overregulated administrative system marked by red tape; ADJ. bureaucratic
burgeon grow rapidly; grow forth; send out buds; Ex. burgeoning computer industry; CF. bludgeon
burlesque give an imitation that ridicules; imitate mockingly
burnish make shiny by rubbing; polish
bust piece of sculpture showing a person’s head, shoulders, and upper chest; V: break up; arrest; Ex. crimebuster
buttress:
support; prop up; N. stationary structure to support wall; Ex. flying buttress
buxom
full-bosomed; plump; jolly