GRE Words Starting with B (69 words)

belie

To lie around; encompass.

Her gentleness belies her strength.

banal

so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

He made some banal remarks about the weather.

benign

Kind; gentle; mild.

an ozone-benign refrigerant

brazen

bold and without shame.

The word 'brazen' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

betray

To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly.

They betrayed their country by selling its secrets to other governments.

bucolic

relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

a charming bucolic farmhouse

burgeon

begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.

The market for collectibles has burgeoned in recent years.

bolster

support or strengthen.

The word 'bolster' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

boorish

rough and bad-mannered; coarse.

boorish remarks

brook

to tolerate; to endure; to countenance

The word 'brook' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

befuddled

cause to become unable to think clearly.

… somebody may be so befuddled and self-destructive as to miss the point entirely.

boisterous

Full of energy; exuberant; noisy.

A large and boisterous crowd attended the concert.

belligerent

hostile and aggressive.

The UN sent a treaty proposal to the belligerents.

beneficent

(of a person) generous or doing good.

a beneficent policy

baroque

highly ornate and extravagant in style.

The word 'baroque' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

byzantine

(of a system or situation) excessively complicated, and typically involving a great deal of administrative detail.

The word 'byzantine' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

banish

To send someone away and forbid that person from returning.

a dictator who banishes anyone who opposes him

bridle

The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.

The word 'bridle' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

bogus

not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted).

a bogus claim

blithe

showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper.

She had a blithe disregard of cultures outside the United States.

base

Something from which other things extend; a foundation.

The word 'base' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

barrage

An artificial obstruction, such as a dam, in a river designed to increase its depth or to divert its flow.

The word 'barrage' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

buoyant

Having buoyancy; able to float.

The word 'buoyant' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

benevolent

well meaning and kindly.

Chinese and Eastern mythologies describe dragons as benevolent.

berate

scold or criticize (someone) angrily.

being berated by her parents when she came home late

buttress

A brick or stone structure built against another structure to support it.

The word 'buttress' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

bereft

To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip; to benim.

the young soldier's bereft [=(more commonly) bereaved ] mother

bombastic

high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated.

political bombast

barren

An area of low fertility and habitation, a desolate place.

The word 'barren' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

burnish

polish up; buff up; enhance or perfect (something such as a reputation or a skill)

The word 'burnish' is commonly used in GRE vocabulary.

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