Word List 5

Question 1

bewilder

Answer 1

to cause to lose one’s bearings
to perplex or confuse especially by a complexity, variety, or multitude of objects or considerations

e.g. The change in policy seems to have bewildered many of our customers.

Question 2

bibliophile

Answer 2

a lover of books especially for qualities of format; also a book collector

e.g. For bibliophiles, no electronic device could possibly give the tactile pleasure of a beautifully bound book.

Question 3

bicker

Answer 3

to engage in a petulant or petty quarrel

e.g. bickering over money

Question 4

bifurcate

Answer 4

to (also cause to) divide into two branches or parts

e.g. The stream bifurcated into two narrow winding channels.
bifurcate a beam of light

Question 5

coalesce

Answer 5

to grow together
to unite into a whole, fuse; to unite for a common end
to arise from the combination of distinct elements

e.g. a group of young reformers who gradually coalesced into a political movement
An organized and a popular resistance immediately coalesced.

Question 6

bigotry

Answer 6

the state of mind of a bigot
acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot

e.g. A deeply ingrained bigotry prevented her from even considering the counterarguments.

Question 7

bile

Answer 7

a yellow or greenish viscid alkaline fluid secreted by the liver
inclination to anger; acrimony, vitriol

e.g. With considerable bile, the author recounts a childhood filled with misery and loneliness.

Question 8

bilk

Answer 8

to block the free development of; frustrate
to cheat out of something valuable; defraud
to evade payment of or to
to slip away from

e.g. Fate bilks their hopes.
An investigation revealed that the garage had been bilking motorists for repairs that had never been made.
to bilk his creditors
She bilked her pursuers.

Question 9

billowy

Answer 9

similar to wave, especially a great wave or surge of water

resembling a rolling mass (as of flame or smoke)

Question 10

biped

Answer 10

a two-footed animal

Question 11

podiatry

Answer 11

the medical care and treatment of the human foot

Question 12

bit

Answer 12

the biting or cutting edge or part of a tool

Question 13

blanch

Answer 13

to bleach
to make ashen or pale

e.g. She blanched and remained silent when the store owner accused her of taking the money.

Question 14

bland

Answer 14

dull, insipid
smooth and soothing in manner or quality
exhibiting no personal concern or embarrassment; unperturbed

e.g. The diplomat’s bland statement did nothing to calm the situation.
bland soup

Question 15

blandish

Answer 15

to coax with flattery; cajole
to act or speak in a flattering or coaxing manner

e.g. They blandished her into doing their work for them by complimenting her shamelessly.

Question 16

blatant

Answer 16

noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner; clamorous
completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner; brazen

e.g. a blatant clamor for the impeachment of the scandal-plagued governor
blatant disregard for the rules

Question 17

blatter

Answer 17

to talk noisily and fast

Question 18

blazon

Answer 18

armorial bearings
ostentatious display
 to publish widely; proclaim
to pain or depict with accurate details
display, adorn

e.g. Their public canoodling has pretty much blazoned the fact that they are having an affair.
The city’s waterfront has been blazoned with banners celebrating the festival of tall ships.

Question 19

bleak

Answer 19

exposed and barren and often windswept
cold, raw; lacking in warmth, life, or kindliness; grim
not hopeful or encouraging; depressing
severely simple or austere

e.g. a bleak November evening
a bleak outlook for the team for the rest of the season

Question 20

blemish

Answer 20

to spoil by a flaw
a noticeable imperfection, especially one that seriously impairs appearance

e.g. The incident blemished his reputation.
The book fails to mention any of the organization’s many blemishes.

Question 21

blight

Answer 21

a disease or injury of plans marked by the formation of lesions, withering, and deaths of parts
something that frustrates plans or hopes
to damage

e.g. The expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside.
Builders blighted the land with malls and parking lots.

Question 22

blithe

Answer 22

of a happy lighthearted character or disposition
lacking due thought or consideration; casual, heedless

e.g. a blithe spirit
He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others.

Question 23

blotch

Answer 23

to mark or mar with blotches
imperfection, blemish
a spot or mark (as of color or ink) especially when large and irregular

e.g. He blotched the bedroom walls with various shades of blue to give them a textured effect.
a dog with a single small blotch of black

Question 24

blowhard

Answer 24

braggart
windbag, an exhaustively talkative person

e.g. a politician who is the stereotypical backslapping blowhard

Question 25

blue

Answer 25

depressed, melancholy

Question 26

blueprint

Answer 26

photographic print of building plans | detailed plan

Question 27

blunder

Answer 27

to move unsteadily or confusedly to make a mistake (in) through stupidity, ignorance, or carelessness e.g. We blundered along through the woods until we finally found the trail. The government blundered by not acting sooner.

Question 28

blunt

Answer 28

slow or deficient in feeling; insensitive obtuse in understanding or discernment; dull having an edge or point that is not sharp abrupt in speech or manner; being straight to the point; direct e.g. a blunt instrument He was blunt about needing more space.

Question 29

hone

Answer 29

to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone to make more acute, intense, or effective; whet e.g. to hone one's skills

Question 30

whet

Answer 30

to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (as a stone) to make keen or more acute; excite, stimulate e.g. whet a knife We had some wine to whet our appetites.

Question 31

blurb

Answer 31

a short publicity notice (as on a book jacket)

Question 32

lush

Answer 32

growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage appealing to senses; savory, delicious; opulent, sumptuous e.g. The frequent rainfall encourages the lush growth of trees, ferns, and shrubs. lush accommodations/sounds of the orchestra

Question 33

bluster

Answer 33

to talk or act with noisy swaggering threats to blow in stormy noisy gusts; to be windy and boisterous e.g. He brags and blusters, but he never does what he says he'll do. The wind blustered through the valley.

Question 34

bog

Answer 34

wet spongy ground to cause to sink into or as if into a bog; impede, mire (usually used with down) e.g. They can bog down any other agency by encumbering agency rules or policies.

Question 35

boggle

Answer 35

to start with fright or amazement; be overwhelmed to hesitate because of doubt, fear, scruples mishandle, bungle e.g. The mind boggles at the research needed. She boggled her first effort to make cookies.

Question 36

bogus

Answer 36

not genuine; counterfeit, sham e.g. The museum quickly discovered that the painting was bogus.

Question 37

boisterous

Answer 37

noisily turbulent; rowdy marked by or expressive of exuberance and high spirits stormy, tumultuous e.g. The fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run.

Question 38

bolster

Answer 38

a long pillow or cushion; a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing to support with or as if with a bolster; reinforce to give a boost to e.g. a convincing argument that was bolstered by the speaker's reputation

Question 39

bolt

Answer 39

a wood or metal bar used to fasten a door a metal rod or pin for fastening objects together to move suddenly or nervously; start to move or proceed rapidly; dash to dart off or away; flee

Question 40

preposterous

Answer 40

contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd

Question 41

bombast

Answer 41

pretentious inflated speech or writing e.g. The other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast.

Question 42

bonnet

Answer 42

a brimless Scottish cap of seamless woolen fabric | a metal covering

Question 43

bonny

Answer 43

attractive, fair; fine, excellent

Question 44

boon

Answer 44

benefit, favor, especially one that is given in answer to a request a timely benefit; blessing e.g. The couple's generous donation was a great boon to the charity's fundraising campaign.

Question 45

boor

Answer 45

peasant a rude or insensitive person e.g. a loudmouthed boor who embarrassed his family at every social event they attended

Question 46

bootless

Answer 46

useless, unprofitable e.g. a bootless attempt to get tickets to the sold-out game

Question 47

bore

Answer 47

to make a hole to cause to fell boredom a hole a tiresome, dull person

Question 48

boulder

Answer 48

a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

Question 49

bouquet

Answer 49

flowers picked and fastened together in a bunch; nosegay medley compliment a distinctive and characteristic fragrance (as of wine); a subtle aroma or quality (as of an artistic performance) e.g. The drama critics greeted her performance with bouquets.

Question 50

coquet

Answer 50

to play the coquette; flirt | to deal with something playfully rather than seriously

Question 51

bourgeois

Answer 51

``` of, relating to, or characteristic of the social middle class marked by a concern for material interests and respectability and a tendency toward mediocrity dominated by commercial and industrial interests; capitalist ```

Question 52

bout

Answer 52

a spell of activity (as an athletic match); outbreak, attack, session e.g. She is currently suffering from a bout of the flu.

Question 53

boycott

Answer 53

to engage in a concerted refusal to having dealings with (as a person, store, or organization) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance or certain conditions e.g. We boycotted companies that were polluting the environment.

Question 54

brace

Answer 54

to strengthen prepare fastener e.g. Brace yourself for the shock. He braced the gate with a piece of wood.

Question 55

bracing

Answer 55

giving strength, vigor, or freshness e.g. a chilly but bracing day a bracing breeze

Question 56

vapid

Answer 56

lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force; flat, dull e.g. a gossipy, vapid woman, obsessed by her own elegance

Question 57

bracket

Answer 57

wooden or metal angle shaped support

Question 58

braggadocio

Answer 58

braggart empty boasting; arrogant pretension, cockiness e.g. His braggadocio hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate.

Question 59

brake

Answer 59

a device for arresting or preventing motion | to retard or stop by or as if by a brake

Question 60

brandish

Answer 60

to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner e.g. I could see that he was brandishing a knife. As with his Harvard degree, he didn't hesitate to brandish his pretty wife.

Question 61

brash

Answer 61

brittle heedless of the consequences; audacious, rash full of fresh raw vitality aggressively self-assertive; impudent e.g. a brash adventurer/frontier town a brash request to get something for free

Question 62

brassy

Answer 62

shamelessly bold resistant to control, marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness; obstreperous e.g. A brassy customer insisted on arriving late and still being taken first.

Question 63

bravado

Answer 63

blustering swaggering conduct a pretense of bravery e.g. His stories are always told with bravado.

Question 64

bravura

Answer 64

a musical passage requiring exceptional agility and technical skill in execution a florid brilliant style; a show of daring or brilliance marked by a dazzling display of skill ornate, showy e.g. A truly bravura performance of the ballet brought the crowd to its feed.

Question 65

brawl

Answer 65

a rough, noisy quarrel or fight | also

Question 66

brazen

Answer 66

marked by contemptuous boldness e.g. a brazen demand for special treatment just because she is rich

Question 67

brazier

Answer 67

one who works in brass | a pan for holding burning coals

Question 68

bricklayer

Answer 68

a person who lays bricks

Question 69

bridle

Answer 69

a headgear with which a horse is governed curb, restraint to restrain, check, or control to show hostility or resentment (as to an affront to one's pride or dignity) e.g. set a bridle on his power try to bridle your criticism next time so that it is helpful and not hurtful

Question 70

brink

Answer 70

the edge of a steep place; verge, border

Question 71

brisk

Answer 71

keenly alert; lively fresh, invigorating (brisk weather) energetic, quick; marked by much activity e.g. a brisk walk Business was brisk.

Question 72

bristle

Answer 72

a short stiff coarse hair or filament to rise and stand stiffly erect to take on an aggressively defensive attitude (as in response to a slight or criticism) to be full of something specified e.g. Electricity makes your hair bristle. He bristled at the accusations of corruption. a recent college grad thrilled to be starting a new life in a city bristling with possibilities

Question 73

gristle

Answer 73

cartilage | tough cartilaginous, tendinous, or fibrous matter especially in table meats

Question 74

broach

Answer 74

``` to draw (beer, liquor, etc.) as by tapping to make known for the first time; to open up (a subject) for discussion ``` e.g. Some of his supporters remain so passionate that the subject can be difficult to broach.

Question 75

broker

Answer 75

one who acts as an intermediary

Question 76

bromide

Answer 76

a commonplace or tiresome person; bore a commonplace or hackneyed statement or notion e.g. a newspaper editorial offering the timeworn bromide that people should settle their differences peacefully

Question 77

brood

Answer 77

the young of an animal or a family of young a group having a common nature or origin to think anxiously or gloomily about; ponder e.g. He brooded over his mistake.

Question 78

brook

Answer 78

a small stream

Question 79

browbeat

Answer 79

to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech; bully e.g. They browbeat him into signing the document.

Question 80

bruit

Answer 80

noise to voice abroad; rumor (usually used passively with about) e.g. Word of his imminent dismissal was bruited about.

Question 81

brunt

Answer 81

the principal force, shock, or stress the greater part e.g. The brunt of the responsibility fell on her shoulders.

Question 82

brusque

Answer 82

markedly short and abrupt blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness e.g. She asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: "We don't have any."

Question 83

buck

Answer 83

to oppose; resist | a male deer or antelope

Question 84

bucolic

Answer 84

of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen; pastoral relating to or typical of rural life; idyllic e.g. a bucolic region where farms are still common

Question 85

buffoon

Answer 85

a ludicrous figure; clown | a gross and usually ill-educated or stupid person

Question 86

bulb

Answer 86

an underground but as in a lily, onion, etc.

Question 87

bulge

Answer 87

to swell; protrude or project | also

Question 88

bumptious

Answer 88

presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive; obtrusive e.g. a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement

Question 89

bungle

Answer 89

to act or work clumsily and awkwardly mishandle, botch e.g. She bungled the job the first tie she tried to do it.

Question 90

buoy

Answer 90

support, uplift to raise the spirits of (usually used with up) e.g. The tax breaks should help to buoy the economy. Hope buoys him up.

Question 91

buoyant

Answer 91

cheerful capable of maintaining a satisfactory high level e.g. The actors were buoyant as they prepared for the evening's performance. a buoyant economy

Question 92

burgeon

Answer 92

to bloom to grow and expand rapidly; flourish e.g. The trout population in the stream is burgeoning now that the water is clean.

Question 93

burlesque

Answer 93

parody | derisive caricature

Question 94

burly

Answer 94

strongly and heavily built; husky

Question 95

burnish

Answer 95

to make shiny or lustrous especially by rubbing; polish luster, gloss e.g. He burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster. After some much-needed polishing, the silver tea set had a brilliant burnish.

Question 96

bust

Answer 96

a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure, including the head and neck and usually part of the shoulders and breast

Question 97

buttress

Answer 97

a structure built against a wall to support it something that supports or strengthens to support, strengthen, or defend e.g. The mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying time. The treaty will buttress the cause of peace.

Question 98

byline

Answer 98

a line identifying the writer

Question 99

contravene

Answer 99

to go or act contrary to; violate to oppose in argument; contradict e.g. The unauthorized reproduction of the image contravenes copyright laws. contravene a proposition

Question 100

bystander

Answer 100

one present but not taking part in a situation or event

Question 101

byzantine

Answer 101

of, relating to, or characterized by a devious and usually surreptitious manner of operation intricately involved; labyrinthine e.g. a byzantine power struggle rules of byzantine complexity

Question 102

cabal

Answer 102

a conspiratorial group of plotters e.g. a conspiracy theory about the existence of an international cabal devoted to world domination

Question 103

cache

Answer 103

a hiding place especially for concealing and preserving provisions or implements a secure place of storage to place, hide, or store in a cache e.g. They cached the fugitive slaves in their cellar until they could make their way to Canada.

Question 104

cacophony

Answer 104

harsh, jarring sound

Question 105

mellifluous

Answer 105

having a smooth rich flow filled with something (as honey) that sweetens e.g. a mellifluous voice

Question 106

dulcet

Answer 106

sweet to the taste pleasing to the ear generally pleasing or agreeable e.g. the dulcet tones of her voice Although she flashed a dulcet smile, she was secretly seething with resentment.

Question 107

cadet

Answer 107

a student at a military school

Question 108

cadge

Answer 108

beg, sponge e.g. cadge a free cup of coffee

Question 109

cajole

Answer 109

to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance; coax to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion e.g. He cajoled her into doing his laundry for him. cajole money from his parents