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

to make someone uninterested

She is too polite to bore us with stories

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