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VOCABULARY LISTS > USER LISTS

Barrons GRE Wordlist - B 211 words

August 20, 2009 By Sree Harsha T. (Mumbai India)

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Definitions Notes & Examples Words Only
  1. babble
    utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way
  2. bacchanal
    a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
  3. Bacchanalia
    an orgiastic festival in ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus (= Bacchus)
  4. bacchanalian
    used of riotously drunken merrymaking
  5. backslide
    drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
  6. badger
    sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the northern hemisphere
  7. badinage
    frivolous banter
  8. baffle
    be a mystery or bewildering to
  9. bait
    something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed
  10. baleful
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  11. balk
    refuse to comply
  12. ballast
    any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship
  13. balm
    semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation
  14. balmy
    mild and pleasant
  15. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  16. bandy
    discuss lightly
  17. bane
    something causing misery or death
  18. bank
    sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)
  19. bantering
    cleverly amusing in tone
  20. bar
    a rigid piece of metal or wood; usually used as a fastening or obstruction or weapon
  21. barb
    a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove
  22. bard
    a lyric poet
  23. barefaced
    with no effort to conceal
  24. bargain
    an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
  25. baroque
    of or relating to or characteristic of the elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music popular in Europe between 1600 and 1750
  26. barrage
    the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target
  27. barrister
    a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution
  28. barterer
    a trader who exchanges goods and not money
  29. base
    lowest support of a structure
  30. bask
    be exposed
  31. bastard
    the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
  32. bastion
    projecting part of a rampart or other fortification
  33. bate
    flap the wings wildly or frantically; used of falcons
  34. battalion
    an army unit usually consisting of a headquarters and three or more companies
  35. bauble
    cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
  36. bawdy
    humorously vulgar
  37. bearing
    characteristic way of bearing one's body
  38. beatific
    marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint
  39. beatitude
    a state of supreme happiness
  40. bedizen
    decorate tastelessly
  41. bedraggle
    make wet and dirty, as from rain
  42. beeline
    the most direct route
  43. befuddle
    be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
  44. beget
    make children
  45. begrudge
    be envious of; set one's heart on
  46. beguile
    attract; cause to be enamored
  47. behemoth
    someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
  48. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
  49. behoove
    be appropriate or necessary
  50. behove
    be appropriate or necessary
  51. belabor
    beat soundly
  52. belated
    after the expected or usual time; delayed
  53. beleaguer
    annoy persistently
  54. belie
    be in contradiction with
  55. belittle
    cause to seem less serious; play down
  56. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  57. belligerent
    characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
  58. bemoan
    regret strongly
  59. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
  60. benediction
    a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection
  61. benefactor
    a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)
  62. beneficent
    doing or producing good
  63. beneficial
    promoting or enhancing well-being
  64. beneficiary
    the recipient of funds or other benefits
  65. benefit
    something that aids or promotes well-being
  66. benevolent
    showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
  67. benign
    kindness of disposition or manner
  68. benison
    a spoken blessing
  69. bent
    used of the back and knees; stooped
  70. bequeath
    leave or give by will after one's death
  71. berate
    censure severely or angrily
  72. bereaved
    sorrowful through loss or deprivation
  73. bereavement
    state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
  74. bereft
    sorrowful through loss or deprivation
  75. berserk
    one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury
  76. beseech
    ask for or request earnestly
  77. beset
    assail or attack on all sides: "The zebra was beset by leopards"
  78. besiege
    surround so as to force to give up
  79. besmirch
    smear so as to make dirty or stained
  80. bestial
    resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility
  81. bestow
    give as a gift
  82. betoken
    be a signal for or a symptom of
  83. betray
    deliver to an enemy by treachery
  84. betroth
    give to in marriage
  85. bevy
    a flock of birds (especially when gathered close together on the ground)
  86. beware
    be on one's guard; be cautious or wary about; be alert to
  87. bewitch
    cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something
  88. bicameral
    consisting of two chambers
  89. bicker
    argue over petty things
  90. bid
    propose a payment
  91. biennial
    occurring every second year
  92. bifurcated
    divided into or made up of two parts
  93. bigot
    a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own
  94. bigotry
    the intolerance and prejudice of a bigot
  95. bilious
    relating to or containing bile
  96. bilk
    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
  97. billow
    a large sea wave
  98. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
  99. biting
    causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold
  100. bitter
    causing a sharp and acrid taste experience;"quinine is bitter"
  101. bivouac
    temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
  102. bizarre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  103. blackball
    vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
  104. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
  105. bland
    lacking taste or flavor or tang
  106. blandishment
    flattery intended to persuade
  107. blare
    make a loud noise
  108. blase
    nonchalantly unconcerned
  109. blasphemy
    blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)
  110. blatant
    without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
  111. bleak
    unpleasantly cold and damp
  112. blemish
    a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)
  113. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  114. blighted
    affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity
  115. bliss
    a state of extreme happiness
  116. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  117. blithesome
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  118. bloat
    swelling of the rumen or intestinal tract of domestic animals caused by excessive gas
  119. blotch
    an irregularly shaped spot
  120. blowhard
    a very boastful and talkative person
  121. bludgeon
    a club used as a weapon
  122. blue
    of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
  123. blues
    a state of depression
  124. bluff
    a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
  125. blunder
    an embarrassing mistake
  126. blunt
    used of a knife or other blade; not sharp
  127. blurt
    utter impulsively
  128. blush
    become rosy or reddish
  129. bluster
    blow hard; be gusty, as of wind
  130. bode
    indicate by signs
  131. bog
    wet spongy ground of decomposing vegetation; has poorer drainage than a swamp; soil is unfit for cultivation but can be cut and dried and used for fuel
  132. bogus
    fraudulent; having a misleading appearance
  133. bohemian
    a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life
  134. boisterous
    full of rough and exuberant animal spirits
  135. bolster
    support and strengthen
  136. bolt
    a screw that screws into a nut to form a fastener
  137. bombardment
    an attack by dropping bombs
  138. bombast
    pompous or pretentious talk or writing
  139. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  140. bookish
    characterized by diligent study and fondness for reading
  141. boon
    a desirable state
  142. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
  143. boorish
    ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance
  144. boost
    increase
  145. bore
    make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool
  146. botch
    make a mess of, destroy or ruin
  147. bouillon
    a clear seasoned broth
  148. bound
    confined by bonds
  149. bountiful
    producing in abundance
  150. bourgeois
    (according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning class and exploitive of the working class
  151. bout
    a contest or fight (especially between boxers or wrestlers)
  152. bovine
    any of various members of the genus Bos
  153. bowdlerize
    edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
  154. brackish
    slightly salty (especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water)
  155. brag
    show off
  156. braggadocio
    vain and empty boasting
  157. braggart
    a very boastful and talkative person
  158. braid
    make by braiding or interlacing
  159. brand
    a name given to a product or service
  160. brandish
    move or swing back and forth
  161. bravado
    a swaggering show of courage
  162. brave
    possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
  163. brawl
    to quarrel noisily, angrily or disruptively
  164. brawn
    possessing muscular strength
  165. brawny
    (of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful
  166. brazen
    unrestrained by convention or propriety
  167. breach
    an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification)
  168. breadth
    the extent of something from side to side
  169. breed
    cause to procreate (animals)
  170. brevity
    the attribute of being brief or fleeting
  171. bridle
    headgear for a horse; includes a headstall and bit and reins to give the rider or driver control
  172. brim
    the top edge of a vessel or other container
  173. brindled
    having a grey or brown streak or a pattern or a patchy coloring; used especially of the patterned fur of cats
  174. brink
    the edge of a steep place
  175. brisk
    quick and energetic
  176. bristle
    a stiff hair
  177. brittle
    having little elasticity; hence easily cracked or fractured or snapped
  178. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
  179. brocade
    thick heavy expensive material with a raised pattern
  180. brochure
    a small book usually having a paper cover
  181. broil
    cook under a broiler
  182. bromide
    a trite or obvious remark
  183. brooch
    a decorative pin worn by women
  184. brood
    hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing
  185. brook
    a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
  186. browbeat
    discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
  187. browse
    feed as in a meadow or pasture
  188. bruise
    an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration
  189. brunt
    main force of a blow etc
  190. brusque
    marked by rude or peremptory shortness
  191. buccaneer
    someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation
  192. bucolic
    relating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  193. buffet
    a piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room; has shelves and drawers
  194. buffoon
    a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior
  195. buffoonery
    acting like a clown or buffoon
  196. bugaboo
    an imaginary monster used to frighten children
  197. bulge
    swell or protrude outwards
  198. bulk
    the property possessed by a large mass
  199. bullion
    a mass of precious metal
  200. bully
    discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
  201. bulwark
    an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
  202. bump
    an impact (as from a collision)
  203. bungle
    make a mess of, destroy or ruin
  204. buoyant
    tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
  205. bureaucracy
    a government that is administered primarily by bureaus that are staffed with nonelective officials
  206. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  207. burlesque
    a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor; consists of comic skits and short turns (and sometimes striptease)
  208. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  209. bust
    a sculpture of the head and shoulders of a person
  210. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick; supports the wall of a building
  211. buxom
    (of a female body) healthily plump and vigorous