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29 Cards in this Set
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Balk |
v.) to stop, block abruptly
Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise. |
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Ballad |
n.) a love song
Greta’s boyfriend played her a ballad on the guitar during their walk through the dark woods. |
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Banal |
adj.) dull, commonplace
The client rejected our proposal because they found our presentation banal and unimpressive. |
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Bane |
n.) a burden
dvanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives |
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Bard |
n.) a poet, often a singer as well
Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language. |
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Bashful |
adj.) shy, excessively timid
Frankie’s mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party. |
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Battery |
1.(n.) a device that supplies power
Most cars run on a combination of power from a battery and gasoline.
2. (n.)assault, beating
Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk. |
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Beguile |
v.) to trick, deceive
The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him. |
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Behemoth |
n.) something of tremendous power or size
The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet. |
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Benevolent |
adj.) marked by goodness or doing good
Police officers should be commended for their benevolent service to the community. |
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Benign |
adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild
We were all relieved to hear that the medical tests determined her tumor to be benign. |
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Bequeath |
v.) to pass on, give
Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother. |
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Berate |
v.) to scold vehemently
The angry boss berated his employees for failing to meet their deadline. |
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Bereft |
adj.) devoid of, without
His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado. |
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Beseech |
v.) to beg, plead, implore
The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family. |
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Bias |
n.) a tendency, inclination, prejudice
The judge’s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision. |
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Bilk |
v.) cheat, defraud
The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars. |
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Blandish |
v.) to coax by using flattery
Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal. |
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Blemish |
n.) an imperfection, flaw
The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture. |
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Blight |
1. (n.) a plague, disease
The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.)
2. (n.) something that destroys hope
His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation. |
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Boisterous |
adj.) loud and full of energy
The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television. |
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Bombastic |
adj.) excessively confident, pompous
he singer’s bombastic performance disgusted the crowd. |
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Boon |
n.) a gift or blessing
The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach. |
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Bourgeois |
n.) a middle-class person, capitalist
Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life. |
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Brazen |
adj.) excessively bold, brash
Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway’s story. |
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Brusque |
adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive
The captain’s brusque manner offended the passengers. |
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Buffet |
1. (v.) to strike with force
The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.
2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table
Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up. |
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Burnish |
v.) to polish, shine
His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table. |
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Buttress |
1. (v.) to support, hold up
The column buttresses the roof above the statue.
2. (n.) something that offers support
The buttress supports the roof above the statues. |
