GRE wordlist for B(part 1)

babble chatter idly or foolishly; make continuous sounds like water running gently over rounded stone; N.
bacchanal noisy party with a lot of drinking
bacchanalia the ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus
bacchanalian drunken
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
bastard illegitimate child
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