a

b

Germanic Words Vocabulary

B

balk: hesitate or refuse to go on

He balked at the idea of moving abroad

banal: so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring

His jokes were banal and predictable

bane: a cause of great distress or annoyance

Gossip is the bane of her life

bask: to lie or relax in warmth or happiness

The cat basked in the sun

bash: to strike hard; to criticize severely

He bashed the door open in anger

abash: to make (someone) feel embarrassed or ashamed

She was abashed by his sudden praise

unabashed: not embarrassed or ashamed

He remained unabashed despite the criticism

beck: a gesture to signal or call someone

She was always at his beck and call

befall: to happen, usually something bad

Misfortune befell the travelers

befoul: to make dirty or pollute

The river was befouled by waste

beget: to bring about or cause

Violence begets more violence

begrudgingly: unwillingly or reluctantly

He begrudgingly accepted her help

bequeath: to leave something by will

He bequeathed his fortune to charity

bereft: deprived of something

She was bereft of her love

betide: to happen or occur

Woe betide anyone who disobeys

bewitch: to enchant or captivate

He was bewitched by her charm

bide: to wait or stay

Bide your time until the right moment

bind: to tie or secure

They used ropes to bind his hands

bode: to be a sign of something

Dark clouds bode ill for the picnic

bore: 1. to drill into something

They bore straight into the wood

  1. to make someone uninterested

She is too polite to bore us with stories

  1. a dull or uninteresting person

He can be a crashing bore

borne: carried or transported by something

Food-borne illnesses are a major concern

bout: a short period of activity or illness

My bout with the flu lasted a week

briar: a prickly scrambling shrub, especially wild roses

He got caught in the briars

brunt: the main force of something unpleasant

She bore the brunt of their insults

bulwark: a strong defense or protection

The castle wall was a bulwark against attack

c

Germanic Words Vocabulary

C

cast: cause (light or shadow) to appear on a surface; to throw something forcefully

The lamp cast a warm glow on the wall
He cast the stone into the river

f

Germanic Words Vocabulary

F

feedlot: an area or building where livestock are fed or fattened up

Cattle were raised in large feedlots before being sold

flit: to move lightly and swiftly

Butterflies flitted among the flowers

flout: to openly disregard a rule or law

I flouted the code of conduct

fold: multiplied by; a group bound together

Their profits increased threefold last year

forebear: an ancestor

He honored the wisdom of his forebears

foreboding: a fearful prediction or feeling

A foreboding cloud followed my every move

forestall: to prevent by taking action in advance

He forestalled the crisis with quick thinking

forethought: careful planning for the future

With forethought, they avoided disaster

forewarn: to warn in advance

We were forewarned of the danger

forlorn: pitifully sad or abandoned

Forlorn figures skated by

forthright: direct and outspoken

She gave a forthright answer

fraught: full of or filled with something negative

Her plan was fraught with problems

h

Germanic Words Vocabulary

hail: 1. (of weather) falling;

it hailed so hard we had to seek shelter

  1. (of a large number of objects) fall or be hurled forcefully

missiles and bombs hail down from the sky

  1. praise (someone or something) enthusiastically

he's been hailed as the new James Dean

  1. have one's home or origins in (a place)

they hail from Scandinavia

halt: 1. bring or come to an abrupt stop;

there is growing pressure to halt the bloodshed

  1. a suspension of movement or activity, typically a temporary one

a halt in production

hark archaic • literary listen

harbinger: something that signals what is to come

A harbinger of doom

headway: progress toward a goal

The police made no headway

hearth: the floor of a fireplace; the base or lower part of a furnace, where molten metal collects

They sat by the hearth

heed: to pay attention to

He failed to heed the warnings

helm: a position of leadership or control

She took the helm of the company

herald: a sign of what is to come

The warm winds heralded spring

homegrown: produced locally

Homegrown vegetables taste better

q

Germanic Words Vocabulary

Q

quake: (especially of the earth) shake or tremble

the earthquake set the whole valley quaking

(of a person) shake or shudder with fear

s

Germanic Words Vocabulary

S

shelve: to not take action on something until a later time

we've had to shelve our plans to buy a new car, because of financial difficulties

shudder: (of a person) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion

he shudders at the thought

stickler: a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behaviour

he's a stickler for the rules

stronghold: 1. a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack; 2. a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld

their mountain strongholds fell to enemy attack

the labour stronghold finally fell

w

Germanic Words Vocabulary

W

work: activity involving effort; to perform a task

She works as a teacher

camerawork: the way in which cameras are used to film something

The camerawork in that movie was stunning

footwork: the manner of moving one’s feet in dancing or sports

His footwork on the court was impressive