GRE wordlist B(part 2)

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; V.
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
buffoonery clowning
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