b

Question 1

balk

Answer 1

(v.) to stop, block abruptly (Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.)

Question 2

banal

Answer 2

(adj.) dull, commonplace (The client rejected our proposal because they found
our presentation banal and unimpressive.)

Question 3

bane

Answer 3

(n.) a burden (Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.)

Question 4

bard

Answer 4

(n.) a poet, often a singer as well (Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard
in the history of the English language.)

Question 5

bashful

Answer 5

(adj.) shy, excessively timid (Frankie’s mother told him not to be bashful when
he refused to attend the birthday party.)

Question 6

beguile

Answer 6

(v.) to trick, deceive (The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of
their money to him.)

Question 7

benevolent

Answer 7

(adj.) marked by goodness or doing good (Police officers should be
commended for their benevolent service to the community.)

Question 8

bequeath

Answer 8

(v.) to pass on, give (Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.)

Question 9

berate

Answer 9

(v.) to scold vehemently (The angry boss berated his employees for failing to
meet their deadline.)

Question 10

bereft

Answer 10

(adj.) devoid of, without (His family was bereft of food and shelter following the
tornado.)

Question 11

beseech

Answer 11

(v.) to beg, plead, implore (The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his
starving family.)

Question 12

bilk

Answer 12

(v.) cheat, defraud (The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients
out of thousands of dollars.)

Question 13

blandish

Answer 13

(v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into
accepting the deal.)

Question 14

blight

Answer 14

1. (n.) a plague, disease (The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted
   many families.) 2. (n.) something that destroys hope (His bad morale is a blight
   upon this entire operation.)

Question 15

boisterous

Answer 15

(adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving
several boisterous speeches on television.)

Question 16

boon

Answer 16

(n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses
located near the beach.)

Question 17

bourgeois

Answer 17

(n.) a middle-class person, capitalist (Many businessmen receive criticism for
their bourgeois approach to life.)

Question 18

brusque

Answer 18

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s brusque manner offended the passengers.)

Question 19

burnish

Answer 19

(v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before
setting the table.)

Question 20

buttress

Answer 20

1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2.
   (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)