Gre Barrons Wordlist B

Front 1

babble

Back 1

v. talk in a way that is difficult or impossible to understand

Front 2

bacchanal

Back 2

n. (dated or fml ) bout of noisy, drunken merrymaking . bacchana-lian adj

Front 3

bacchanalia

Back 3

orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus

Front 4

bacchanalian

Back 4

[ bacchanalia: ] [often cap] orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus

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backslide

Back 5

v. lapse from good ways into one's former bad ways of living

Front 6

badger

Back 6

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 .

Front 7

badinage

Back 7

n. playful teasing; banter ;

Front 8

baffle

Back 8

v. be too difficult for to understand; puzzle

Front 9

bait

Back 9

n. food or imitation food put on a hook to catch fish or placed in nets, traps, etc to attract prey

Front 10

baleful

Back 10

adj. threatening evil or harm; menacing

Front 11

balk

Back 11

n. thick, roughly-squared wooden beam

Front 12

ballast

Back 12

n. heavy material placed in a ship's hold to keep it steady

Front 13

balm

Back 13

n. sweet-smelling oil or ointment obtained from certain types of tree, used for soothing pain or for healing ,

Front 14

balmy

Back 14

adj. (of air) gentle and pleasantly warm

Front 15

banal

Back 15

adj. commonplace; uninteresting

Front 16

bandy

Back 16

v. (idm ) bandy `words (with sb) (dated ) exchange words, etc, esp when quarrelling

Front 17

bane

Back 17

n. the bane of sb's existence/life cause of sb's ruin or trouble

Front 18

bank

Back 18

n. land sloping up along each side of a river or canal; ground near a river

Front 19

bantering

Back 19

adj. playfully teasing

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bar

Back 20

n. piece of solid material

Front 21

barb

Back 21

n. point of an arrow, a fish-hook, etc curved backwards to make it difficult to pull out .

Front 22

bard

Back 22

n. minstrel

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barefaced

Back 23

adj. impudent; shameless

Front 24

bargain

Back 24

n. agreement in which both or all sides promise to do sth for each other

Front 25

baroque

Back 25

adj. n highly ornate style fashionable in the arts (esp architecture) in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries ,

Front 26

barrage

Back 26

n. barrier built across a river to store water for irrigation, prevent flooding, etc

Front 27

barrister

Back 27

n. lawyer who has the right to speak and argue as an advocate in higher lawcourts

Front 28

barterer

Back 28

[ barter: ] to trade (goods, services, etc.) in exchange for other goods, services, etc., rather than for money

Front 29

base

Back 29

n. lowest part of sth, esp the part on which it rests or is supported

Front 30

bask

Back 30

v. ~ sit or lie enjoying warmth

Front 31

bastard

Back 31

n. illegitimate child

Front 32

bastion

Back 32

n. part of a fortification that projects from the rest

Front 33

bate

Back 33

let down; restrain

Front 34

battalion

Back 34

n. army unit composed of several companies and forming part of a regiment or brigade

Front 35

bauble

Back 35

n. showy ornament of little value

Front 36

bawdy

Back 36

adj. amusing in a coarse or indecent way

Front 37

bearing

Back 37

n. way of standing, walking, etc; deportment

Front 38

beatific

Back 38

adj. showing or giving great joy and serenity; blissful

Front 39

beatitude

Back 39

n. great happiness; blessedness ;

Front 40

bedizen

Back 40

dress with vulgar finery

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bedraggle

Back 41

wet thoroughly

Front 42

beeline

Back 42

the most direct route between two places

Front 43

befuddle

Back 43

confuse thoroughly

Front 44

beget

Back 44

v. (arch ) be the father of (sb)

Front 45

begrudge

Back 45

v. resent or be dissatisfied with

Front 46

beguile

Back 46

charm (sb)

Front 47

behemoth

Back 47

huge creature; something of monstrous size or power

Front 48

beholden

Back 48

adj. ~ to sb (dated or fml ) owing thanks or indebted to sb

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behoove

Back 49

n. suited to ; incumbent upon

Front 50

belabor

Back 50

to explain or insist on excessively

Front 51

belated

Back 51

adj. coming very late or too late

Front 52

beleaguer

Back 52

v. besiege

Front 53

belie

Back 53

v. give a wrong or an untrue idea of (sth)

Front 54

belittle

Back 54

v. make seem unimportant or of little value

Front 55

bellicose

Back 55

adj. eager to fight; warlike; aggressive

Front 56

belligerent

Back 56

adj. waging war; engaged in a conflict

Front 57

bemoan

Back 57

v. show sorrow for or complain about (sb/sth)

Front 58

bemused

Back 58

adj. bewildered or confused

Front 59

benediction

Back 59

n. blessing, esp one said before a meal or at the end of a church service

Front 60

benefactor

Back 60

n. person who gives money or other help to a school, hospital, charity, etc

Front 61

beneficent

Back 61

adj. showing active kindness; generous; charitable

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beneficial

Back 62

adj. ~ having a helpful or useful effect; advantageous

Front 63

beneficiary

Back 63

n. person who receives sth, esp one who receives money, property, etc when sb dies

Front 64

benefit

Back 64

n. profit; gain; future good (used esp with the vs and preps shown)

Front 65

benevolent

Back 65

adj. ~ being, or wishing to be, kind, friendly and helpful

Front 66

benign

Back 66

adj. kindly; gentle

Front 67

benison

Back 67

blessing

Front 68

bent

Back 68

n. ~ (for sth/doing sth) natural skill (at sth); liking or inclination (for sth/doing sth)

Front 69

bequeath

Back 69

v. ~ sth (to sb) arrange, by making a will, to give (property, money etc) (to sb) when one dies

Front 70

berate

Back 70

v. scold sharply

Front 71

bereaved

Back 71

[ bereave: ] [usually foll by of] to deprive (of) something or someone valued, esp. through death

Front 72

bereavement

Back 72

n. state of being bereaved,sorrow

Front 73

bereft

Back 73

adj. ~ (fml ) deprived of (a power or quality)

Front 74

berserk

Back 74

adj. wild with rage

Front 75

beseech

Back 75

v. ~ sb (for sth) ask sb earnestly; implore sb; entreat sb

Front 76

beset

Back 76

v. (fml ) surround (sb/sth) on all sides; trouble constantly; threaten

Front 77

besiege

Back 77

v. surround with armed forces in order to make it surrender

Front 78

besmirch

Back 78

v. dishonour (sb/sth); slander

Front 79

bestial

Back 79

adj. of or like a beast; brutish; cruel

Front 80

bestow

Back 80

v. ~ sth (fml ) present sth as a gift (to sb); confer

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betoken

Back 81

v. be a sign of (sth); indicate

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betray

Back 82

v. ~ sb/sth hand over or show sb/sth disloyally (to an enemy)

Front 83

betroth

Back 83

become engaged to marry

Front 84

bevy

Back 84

n. large group

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beware

Back 85

v. ~ (of sb/sth) be cautious (of sb/sth); take care (about sb/sth) ;

Front 86

bewitch

Back 86

v. put a magic spell on

Front 87

bicameral

Back 87

adj. having two legislative chambers

Front 88

bicker

Back 88

v. ~ (over/about sth) quarrel about unimportant things

Front 89

bid

Back 89

v. ~ (sth) (for sth); esp US ~ (sth) (on sth) offer (a price) in order to buy sth, esp at an auction

Front 90

biennial

Back 90

adj. happening every second year

Front 91

bifurcated

Back 91

[ bifurcate: ] to fork or divide into two parts or branches

Front 92

bigot

Back 92

n. person who holds strong beliefs and opinions, and is intolerant of anyone who disagrees

Front 93

bigotry

Back 93

n. bigoted attitude or behaviour

Front 94

bilious

Back 94

adj. caused by or suffering from too much bile

Front 95

bilk

Back 95

v. ~ sb of sth) avoid paying money to sb; cheat sb (out of sth)

Front 96

billow

Back 96

n. large wave

Front 97

billowing

Back 97

[ billow: ] a large sea wave

Front 98

bitter

Back 98

adj. having a sharp taste like aspirin or unsweetened coffee; not sweet

Front 99

bivouac

Back 99

n. temporary camp without tents or any other cover, esp used by soldiers or mountaineers

Front 100

bizarre

Back 100

adj. strange in appearance or effect; grotesque; eccentric ;

Front 101

blackball

Back 101

v. prevent from joining a club or group by voting against him in a ballot

Front 102

blanch

Back 102

v. prepare by putting briefly in boiling water; scald

Front 103

bland

Back 103

adj. gentle or casual in manner; showing no strong emotions; suave ;

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blandishment

Back 104

n. (fml ) flattering or coaxing words and actions

Front 105

blare

Back 105

v. ~ make a loud harsh sound like a trumpet

Front 106

blasphemous

Back 106

adj. showing contempt or irreverence for God and sacred things

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blasphemy

Back 107

n. blasphemous behaviour or language

Front 108

blatant

Back 108

adj. very obvious; unashamed; flagrant

Front 109

bleak

Back 109

adj. (of a landscape) bare; exposed; wind-swept

Front 110

blemish

Back 110

n. mark or stain that spoils the beauty or perfection of sb/sth

Front 111

blight

Back 111

n. disease that withers plants

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blighted

Back 112

(adj.) causing frustration or destruction

Front 113

bliss

Back 113

n. perfect happiness; great joy

Front 114

blithe

Back 114

adj. happy and carefree; casual

Front 115

bloated

Back 115

adj. swollen with fat, gas or liquid

Front 116

blotch

Back 116

n. large discoloured m

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blight

Back 117

n. disease that withers plants

Front 118

blighted

Back 118

(adj.) causing frustration or destruction

Front 119

bliss

Back 119

n. perfect happiness; great joy

Front 120

blithe

Back 120

adj. happy and carefree; casual

Front 121

bloated

Back 121

adj. swollen with fat, gas or liquid

Front 122

blotch

Back 122

n. large discoloured mark, usu irregular in shape

Front 123

blowhard

Back 123

a very boastful and talkative person

Front 124

bludgeon

Back 124

n. short thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon

Front 125

blue

Back 125

adj. having the colour of a clear sky or the sea on a sunny day

Front 126

blues

Back 126

[ 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

Front 127

bluff

Back 127

v. try to deceive by pretending to be stronger, braver, cleverer, etc than one is

Front 128

blunder

Back 128

n. stupid or careless mistake

Front 129

blunt

Back 129

adj. without a sharp edge or a point

Front 130

blurt

Back 130

v. blurt sth out say sth suddenly and tactlessly

Front 131

blush

Back 131

v. ~ (at sth) become red in the face (because of sth)

Front 132

bluster

Back 132

v. blow fiercely or in strong gusts

Front 133

bode

Back 133

v. be a sign of (sth coming)

Front 134

bog

Back 134

n. wet spongy ground formed of decaying vegetation

Front 135

bogus

Back 135

adj. not genuine; false

Front 136

Bohemian

Back 136

n, adj having or displaying a very informal and unconventional way of life ,

Front 137

boisterous

Back 137

adj. noisy, lively and cheerful

Front 138

bolster

Back 138

n. long pillow, usu shaped like a roll, across the head of a bed

Front 139

bolt

Back 139

n. metal bar that slides into a socket to lock a door, window, etc

Front 140

bombardment

Back 140

n.

Front 141

bombast

Back 141

n. pompous and meaningless words

Front 142

bombastic

Back 142

adj. pompous and empty

Front 143

bookish

Back 143

adj. fond of reading; studious

Front 144

boon

Back 144

n. request or favour (used esp with the vs shown)

Front 145

boor

Back 145

n. rough, rude or insensitive man

Front 146

boorish

Back 146

adj. of or like a boor

Front 147

boost

Back 147

v. increase the strength or value of help or encourage (sb/sth)

Front 148

botch

Back 148

v. ~ sth spoil sth by poor or clumsy work; repair sth badly

Front 149

bouillon

Back 149

n. thin clear soup or broth; stock ;

Front 150

bound

Back 150

v. form the boundary of (sth); limit

Front 151

bountiful

Back 151

adj. giving generously

Front 152

bourgeois

Back 152

adj. of or relating to the property-owning middle class

Front 153

bout

Back 153

n. ~ short period of a specified activity

Front 154

bovine

Back 154

adj. of or relating to cattle

Front 155

bowdlerize

Back 155

expurgate

Front 156

brackish

Back 156

adj. slightly salty

Front 157

brag

Back 157

v. ~ (about/of sth) talk with too much pride (about sth); boast

Front 158

braggadocio

Back 158

a:empty boasting b:arrogant pretension:COCKINESS

Front 159

braggart

Back 159

n. person who brags

Front 160

braid

Back 160

n. number of threads of silk, cotton, etc woven together in a narrow band for decorating clothes and material

Front 161

brand

Back 161

n. particular make of goods or their trade mark

Front 162

brandish

Back 162

v. wave in a triumphant or threatening way; display

Front 163

bravado

Back 163

n. display of boldness

Front 164

brave

Back 164

adj. (of a person) ready to face and endure danger, pain or suffering; having no fear; courageous

Front 165

brawl

Back 165

n. noisy quarrel or fight

Front 166

brawn

Back 166

n. strong muscles; muscular strength

Front 167

brawny

Back 167

adj. strong and muscular

Front 168

brazen

Back 168

adj. shameless; insolent

Front 169

breach

Back 169

n. breaking or neglect

Front 170

breadth

Back 170

n. distance or measurement from side to side; width

Front 171

breed

Back 171

v. (of animals) produce young

Front 172

brevity

Back 172

n. shortness or briefness

Front 173

bridle

Back 173

n. part of a horse's harness that goes on its head, including the metal bit for the mouth, the straps and the reins

Front 174

brim

Back 174

n. top edge of a cup, bowl, glass, etc

Front 175

brindled

Back 175

adj. brown with streaks of another colour

Front 176

brink

Back 176

n. edge at the top of a steep high place, eg a cliff

Front 177

brisk

Back 177

adj. quick; active; energetic

Front 178

bristle

Back 178

n. short stiff hair

Front 179

bristling

Back 179

rising like bristles; showing irritation

Front 180

brittle

Back 180

adj. hard but easily broken; fragile

Front 181

broach

Back 181

v. make a hole in to draw off the liquid inside; open (a bottle, etc) to use the contents

Front 182

brocade

Back 182

n. fabric woven with a raised pattern, esp of gold or silver threads

Front 183

brochure

Back 183

n. booklet or pamphlet containing information about sth or advertising sth

Front 184

broil

Back 184

v. cook (meat) on a fire or gridiron; grill

Front 185

bromide

Back 185

n. chemical compound of bromine, used in medicine to calm the nerves

Front 186

brooch

Back 186

n. ornament with a hinged pin and clasp, worn on women's clothes ,

Front 187

brood

Back 187

n. all the young birds or other animals produced at one hatching or birth

Front 188

brook

Back 188

n. small stream

Front 189

browbeat

Back 189

v. ~ sb (into doing sth) frighten sb with stern looks and words; bully ; intimidate

Front 190

browse

Back 190

v. examine books in a casual, leisurely way

Front 191

bruise

Back 191

n. injury caused by a blow to the body or to a fruit, discolouring the skin but not breaking it

Front 192

brunt

Back 192

n. bear the brunt of sth

Front 193

brusque

Back 193

adj. rough and abrupt; curt

Front 194

buccaneer

Back 194

n. pirate

Front 195

bucolic

Back 195

adj. of country life or the countryside; rustic ;

Front 196

buffet

Back 196

n. counter where food and drink may be bought and consumed, esp in a railway station or on a train

Front 197

buffoon

Back 197

n. ridiculous but amusing person; clown

Front 198

buffoonery

Back 198

n. ridiculous behaviour; clowning ;

Front 199

bugaboo

Back 199

bugbear; object of baseless terror

Front 200

bulge

Back 200

n. rounded swelling; outward curve

Front 201

bulk

Back 201

n. size, quantity or volume, esp when great

Front 202

bullion

Back 202

n. gold or silver in bulk or bars, before it is made into coins, etc

Front 203

bully

Back 203

n. person who uses his strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people

Front 204

bulwark

Back 204

n. wall, esp of earth, built as a defence

Front 205

bump

Back 205

v. ~ against/into sb/sth knock or strike sth with a dull-sounding blow; collide with sth

Front 206

bungle

Back 206

v. do badly or clumsily; spoil (a task) through lack of skill

Front 207

buoyant

Back 207

adj. (of an object) able to float

Front 208

bureaucracy

Back 208

n. system of government through departments managed by State officials, not by elected representatives

Front 209

burgeon

Back 209

v. (of a plant) put out leaves; sprout

Front 210

burlesque

Back 210

n. comic or exaggerated imitation; parody

Front 211

burly

Back 211

adj. with a strong heavy body; sturdy

Front 212

burnish

Back 212

v. make smooth and shiny by rubbing; polish

Front 213

bust

Back 213

n. sculpture of a person's head, shoulders and chest

Front 214

buttress

Back 214

n. support built against a wall .

Front 215

buxom

Back 215

adj. (of women) plump and healthy-looking; having a large bosom ;