0 Most important 500 Word List for TOEFL Test (B)

BANAL: Lacking in freshness, originality, or vigor-bored by his banal remarks. Synonyms: commonplace, hackneyed, prosaic, trite, stereotyped, vapid. Antonyms: racy, original, vivid.

BANEFUL (noun: BANE: poison; source of harm): Destructive, poisonous - a baneful effect, causing serious injury. Synonyms: deleterious, pernicious, virulent, noxious, toxic. Antonym: beneficent.

BANTER: Good-natured teasing or ridicule-The two wits I exchanged banter, to the amusement of the audience. Synonyms: raillery, chaff

BATON: A stick or staff - The conductor wielded his baton gracefully.

BELIE: To give a false idea of - His gracious manner belled his evil purpose. Synonym: misrepresent




BELLICOSE; Inclined to quarrel; warlike - His bellicose attitude often got John into fights. Synonyms: pugnacious, contentious, disputatious. Antonyms: pacific, conciliatory.

BELLIGERENT: Engaged in war - two belligerent nations warring fiercely.
BENEVOLENT: Kindly; charitable - like a benevolent monarch, bestowing many favors. Synonyms: benign, benignant, gracious, magnanimous. Antonyms: malevolent, malignant.

BEREAVE: To deprive or leave desolate by loss - a widow just bereaved of her husband.

BESMIRCH: To soil or dirty - besmirched his opponent's good name with vile epithets. Synonyms: stilly, defile, smirch, bespatter.

BIASED: Prejudiced - misled by a biased point of view. Synonyms: bigoted, arbitrary, partial, partisan. Antonyms: disinterested, equitable.

BIBLIOPHILE: A lover of books - The bibliophile fingered the old book fondly. Antonym: bibliophobe.

BIZARRE: Queer; unusual in appearance- bizarre clothes, outlandish in the extreme. Synonyms: odd, fantastic, grotesque, eccentric.

BLAND: Gentle; polite; agreeable - a bland diet, without irritating foods. Synonyms: mild, suave (affable or persuasive in manner), soothing, non-irritating. Antonyms: piquant, tart, racy, caustic, acrid, pungent.

BLANDISHMENT: A flattering speech or act - attracted people by his blandishments.

BLEMISH (verb): To scar or spoil - Bad associates blemished his character; (noun): A disfigurement, defect - a character without a blemish.

BLIGHT: To ruin or decay - the rotting wheat, blighted by incessant rain. Synonyms: wither, blast

BLITHE: Gay and light-hearted in spirit or mood - spread cheer with her blithe spirit. Synonyms: jocund, merry, joyous. Antonyms: dejected, forlorn, abject.

BOG: A swamp - sank into the spongy bog. Synonyms: morass, fen, quagmire, mire.

BOMBASTIC (noun: BOMBAST): High-sounding; pretentious in language - a bombastic speech, inflated with meaningless high-flown words. Synonyms: ranting, pompous, fustian.

BOORISH: Unrefined in speech or manners - exhibited the boorish manners of a backwoodsman. Synonyms: churlish, uncouth, uncultured, crass. Antonym: suave.

BUCOLIC: Pertaining to the country - a bucolic poem - the joys of the shepherd. Synonyms: pastoral, rustic, rural.

BUFFOON: A clown - acting like a buffoon, full of ludicrous tricks. Synonym: harlequin.

BULWARK: (1) An embankment used as a fortification - a lofty bulwark for defense. Synonym: rampart. 2) A person, idea, or object serving as a protection - acted as a bulwark in the fight against crime.

BUMPTIOUS: Obnoxiously conceited or self-assertive - a bumptious monitor, puffed up with his own importance. Synonyms: aggressive, arrogant, contumelious, overbearing.


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