GRE FLASHCARDS (B)
Terms
undefined, object
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- bacchanalian
- drunken
- badinage
- teasing conversation
- bait
- harrass; tease
- baleful
- threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
- balk
- (secondary meaning) foil
- ballast
- heavy substance used to add stability or weight
- balm
- something that relieves pain
- banal
- *hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality
- bandy
- discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly
- bane
- curse; cause of ruin
- baneful
- destructive; causing ruin or death
- barb
- sharp projection from fishhook or other object; openly cutting remark
- baroque
- highly ornate
- barrage
- barrier layed down by artillery fire; overwhelming profusion
- barrister
- counselor-at-law
- bastion
- stronghold; something seen as a source of protection
- bate
- let down; restrain
- bauble
- trinket; trifle
- beatific
- showing or producing joy; blissful
- beatify
- bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed
- beatitude
- blessedness; state of bliss
- bedizen
- dress with vulgar finery
- bedraggle
- wet thoroughly
- beguile
- mislead or delude; ceat; pass time
- behemoth
- huge creature; something of a monstrous size or power
- beholden
- obligated; indebted
- behoove
- be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon
- belabor
- explain or go over excessively or to a ridiculous degree; assail verbally
- beleaguer
- besiege or attack; harrass
- belie
- *contradict; give a false impression
- bellicose
- warlike; pugnacious; naturally inclined to fight
- belligerent
- quarrelsome
- bemused
- confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
- benediction
- blessing
- benefactor
- gift giver; patron
- beneficent
- *kindly; doing good
- benevolent
- generous; charitable
- benison
- blessing
- bequeath
- leave to someone by means of a will; hand down
- bereavement
- state of being deprived of something valuable or beloved
- bereft
- deprived of; lacking
- beset
- harrass or trouble; hem in
- besiege
- surround with armed forces; harrass (with requests)
- betoken
- signify; indicate
- betroth
- become engaged to marry
- bevy
- large group
- bicameral
- two-chambered, as a legislative body
- biennial
- every two years
- bifurcated
- divided into two branches; forked
- bilious
- suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humoured
- bilk
- swindle; cheat
- bivouac
- temporary encampent
- bland
- soothing or mild; agreeable
- blandish
- cajole; coax with flattery
- blandishment
- flattery
- blasé
- bored with pleasure or dissipation
- blighted
- suffering from a disease; destroyed
- blithe
- carefree and unconcerned (perhaps foolishly so); cheerful and gay
- blowhard
- talkative boaster
- bluff
- (secondary meaning) pretense (of strength); deception; high cliff
- bluster
- blow in heavy gusts; threaten emptily
- bode
- foreshadow; portend
- bohemian
- unconventional (in an artistic way)
- boisterous
- violent; rough; noisy
- bolster
- *support; reinforce
- bolt
- (secondary meaning) dash or dart off; fasten (a door); gobble down
- bombastic
- *pompous; using inflated language
- boon
- blessing; benefit
- boorish
- *rude; insensitive
- bovine
- cowlike; placid and dull
- bourgeois
- middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional
- bowdlerize
- expurgate (clean, remove offensive parts)
- braggadocio
- boasting
- brandish
- wave around; flourish
- brindled
- tawny or grayish with streaks or spots
- bristling
- rising like bristles; showing irritation
- broach
- introduce; open up
- brocade
- rich, figured fabric
- brook
- tolerate; endure
- browbeat
- bully; intimidate
- browse
- graze; skim or glance at casually
- brunt
- main impact or shock
- brusque
- blunt; abrupt
- bucolic
- rustic; pastoral
- buffet
- (secondary meaning; rhymes with Muffett) slap; batter; knock about
- bugaboo
- bugbear; object of baseless terror
- bullion
- gold and silver in the form of bars
- bulwark
- earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
- burgeon
- *grow forth; send out buds
- burlesque
- give an imitation that ridicules
- burnish
- *make shiny by rubbing; polish
- buttress
- *support; prop up
- buxom
- full-bosomed; plump; jolly