GRE & SAT Vocabulary: Part 5 of 56 (81 – 100)

81) auxiliary /ɔːɡˈzɪliəri/ (adjective, noun):

Adjective:

Meaning 1. (of workers) giving help or support to the main group of workers

Example: auxiliary nurses/workers/services

S: helping, supporting, aiding, assisting, accessory, ancillary  /ænˈsɪləri/

A: first, leading, chief, main, prime, essential, primary, principal, cardinal

Meaning 2. (technical) (of a piece of equipment) used if there is a problem with the main piece of equipment

Example: an auxiliary pump

S: supplementary, reserve, emergency, substitute, secondary, back-up, subsidiary

noun (plural auxiliaries)

Meaning 1. (also auxiliary ˈverb) (grammar) a verb such as be , do and have used with main verbs to show tense, etc. and to form questions and negatives

Example: In the question ‘Do you know where he has gone?’, ‘do’ and ‘has’ are auxiliaries.

Meaning 2. a worker who gives help or support to the main group of workers

Example: nursing auxiliaries

S: backup, reserve

82) aver /əˈvɜː(r)/ (verb) (formal): to state firmly and strongly that something is true

Example: She averred that she had never seen the man before.

S: state, say, maintain, declare, protest, allege, swear, assert, proclaim, affirm, pronounce, profess, avow

A: deny, disclaim, disprove

83) aversion /əˈvɜː(r)ʃn/ [countable, uncountable]: a strong feeling of not liking somebody/something

Examples: a) a strong aversion b) He had an aversion to getting up early.

S: hatred, hate, horror, disgust, hostility, opposition, dislike, distaste, animosity, revulsion, antipathy, repulsion, abhorrence /əˈbɒrəns/, repugnance /rɪˈpʌɡnəns/, odium /ˈəʊdiəm/ (formal), disinclination /ˌdɪsɪŋklɪˈneɪʃən/

A: liking, love, desire, willingness, inclination

84) avid /ˈævɪd/ (adjective)

Meaning 1. [usually before noun] very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby)

Example: an avid reader/collector

Example: She has taken an avid interest in the project (= she is extremely interested in it).

Meaning 2. wanting to get something very much

Example: He was avid for more information.

85) avow /əˈvaʊ/ (verb) (formal): to say firmly and often publicly what your opinion is, what you think is true, etc

Example: An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals.

S: state, maintain, declare, allege, recognize, swear, assert, proclaim, affirm, profess, aver

A: conceal, deny, refuse, reject, repudiate /rɪˈpjuːdieɪt/, disavow

86) baleful /ˈbeɪlfl/ (adjective)  (literary): threatening to do something evil or to hurt somebody / full of evil intentions; threatening

Example: He gave me a baleful look.

S: menacing, threatening, dangerous, frightening, evil, deadly, forbidding, intimidating, harmful, sinister, ominous /ˈɒmɪnəs/, malignant, pernicious (formal), malevolent, venomous, minatory /ˈmɪnətəri/

A: friendly, healthy, beneficial, benign /bɪˈnaɪn/, benevolent, salubrious /səˈluːbriəs/

87) baulk /bɔːk/ (verb (US usually balk)

Meaning 1. [intransitive] to be unwilling to do something or become involved in something because it is difficult, dangerous, etc.

Examples: a) Many parents may baulk at the idea of paying $100 for a pair of shoes. b) He baulked for a moment. ‘I can’t afford it,’ he finally admitted.

Meaning 2. [intransitive] ~ (at something) (of a horse) to stop suddenly and refuse to jump a fence, etc.

Meaning 3. [transitive] ~ somebody (of something) [usually passive] (formal) to prevent somebody from getting something or doing something

Example: She looked like a lion baulked of its prey.

S: foil, check, bar, defeat, prevent, frustrate, baffle, thwart, hinder, obstruct, forestall /fɔːrˈstɔːl/

A: help, support, aid, advance, promote, sustain, assist, abet

88) baneful /ˈbeɪnfl/ (adj) (literary): evil or causing evil

S: harmful, fatal, deadly, disastrous, destructive, hurtful, pernicious /pərˈnɪʃəs/ (formal), noxious, venomous, ruinous, baleful, deleterious /ˌdelɪˈtɪəriəs/ (formal), maleficent /məˈlɛfɪsənt/

A: advantageous, beneficial, fortunate, helpful, lucky

89) barrage /ˈbærɑːʒ/ (noun)

Meaning 1. [countable, usually singular] the continuous firing of a large number of guns in a particular direction, especially to protect soldiers while they are attacking or moving towards the enemy

Example: an artillery barrage from at least 1,000 guns

S: blast, bombardment, gunfire, fusillade /ˌfjuːzɪˈleɪd/, salvo /ˈsælvəʊ/, shelling

Meaning 2. [singular] ~ (of something) a large number of something, such as questions or comments, that are directed at somebody very quickly, one after the other, often in an aggressive way

Example: a barrage of questions / criticisms / complaints

S: assault, attack, blast, bombardment, burst, deluge, onslaught, rain, shower, storm, stream

Meaning 3.  [countable] a wall or barrier built across a river to store water, prevent a flood, etc.

90) barren /ˈbærən/ (adjective)

Meaning 1. (of land or soil) not good enough for plants to grow on it

Examples: a) a barren desert b) a barren landscape (= one that is empty, with few plants)

Meaning 2. (of plants or trees) not producing fruits or seeds

S: unproductive, dry, useless, sterile, fruitless, arid, unfruitful

A: rich, useful, profitable, productive, fertile, lush, fecund

Meaning 3. (old-fashioned or formal) (of w omen or female animals) not able to produce children or young animals

Meaning 4. [usually before noun] not producing anything useful or successful

Example: The team will come through this barren patch and start to win again.

Learn GRE & SAT vocabulary: Part 4 of 56 here.

Learn GRE & SAT vocabulary: Part 6 of 56 here.

91) bask /bɑːsk/ (verb) [intransitive]: ~ (in something) to enjoy sitting or lying in the heat or light of something, especially the sun

Examples: a) We sat basking in the warm sunshine. b) A cat was basking on the windowsill.

S: lie, relax, lounge, sprawl, sunbathe, recline

92) beatify /biˈætɪfaɪ/ (verb): (~ sb) (of the Pope) to give a dead person a special honour by stating officially that he/she is very holy

93) belabour /bɪˈleɪbə(r)/ (verb) (especially US belabor): (usage: belabour the ˈpoint) (formal ) to repeat an idea, argument, etc. many times to emphasize it, especially when it has already been mentioned or understood

Example: I don’t want to belabour the point, but it’s vital you understand how important this is.

94) bellicose /ˈbelɪkəʊs/ /ˈbelɪkəʊz/ (adjective) (formal): having or showing a desire to argue or fight

S: antagonistic, combative, threatening, aggressive, hostile

A: agreeable, calm, easygoing /ˌiːziˈɡoʊɪŋ/, peaceful

95) belligerent /bəˈlɪdʒərənt/ (adjective, noun)

Adjective

Meaning 1. unfriendly and aggressive

Examples: a) a belligerent attitude b) He is always very belligerent towards me.

S: aggressive, hostile, contentious, combative, unfriendly, antagonistic  /ænˌtæɡənˈɪstɪk/, argumentative, pugnacious, quarrelsome

A: friendly, benign /bɪˈnaɪn/, harmonious, conciliatory /kənˈsɪliətəri/, nonviolent, amicable /ˈæmɪkəbəl/

Meaning 2. [only before noun] (formal) (of a country) fighting a war

Example: the belligerent countries / states / nations

96) benefactor /ˈbenɪfæktə(r)/ (noun) (formal): a person who gives money or other help to a person or an organization such as a school or charity

Examples: a) a generous benefactor b) friends and benefactors of the hospital

S: supporter, friend, champion, defender, sponsor, patron, promoter, contributor, helper

A: opponent, antagonist

97) benevolent /bəˈnevələnt/ (adjective): (formal) (especially of people in authority) kind, helpful and generous

Examples: a) a benevolent smile/attitude b) a benevolent dictatorship

S: kind, good, kindly, understanding, caring, liberal, generous, obliging /əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/, sympathetic, humanitarian /hjuːˌmænɪˈteəriən/, charitable, benign /bɪˈnaɪn/, humane  /hjuːˈmeɪn/, compassionate, gracious

A: bad, severe, harsh, stern, unpleasant, malicious, malign, unkind, unfavourable, unsympathetic, hateful, inhumane, disobliging

98) benign /bɪˈnaɪn/ (adjective)

Meaning 1. (formal) (of people) kind and gentle; not hurting anybody

Example: You would never have guessed his intentions from the benign expression on his face.

S: kind, good, kindly, understanding, caring, liberal, generous, obliging, sympathetic, humanitarian, charitable, humane, compassionate, gracious

A: bad, severe, harsh, stern, unpleasant, malicious, malign, unkind, unfavourable, unsympathetic, hateful, inhumane, disobliging

Meaning 2: (medical) (of tumours growing in the body) not dangerous or likely to cause death

S: harmless, innocuous, curable, inoffensive, not dangerous, remediable /rɪˈmiːdɪəb(ə)l/

A: malignant /məˈlɪɡnənt/, fatal, evil, dangerous, uncontrollable, deadly, cancerous, virulent, irremediable /ˌɪrɪˈmiːdiəbəl/

99) bequest /bɪˈkwest/ (noun) (formal): money or property that you ask to be given to a particular person when you die

Example: He left a bequest to each of his grandchildren.

S: legacy, gift, settlement, trust, heritage, endowment, estate /ɪˈsteɪt/, inheritance

100) berate /bɪˈreɪt/ (verb) Usage: (~ somebody/yourself) (formal): to criticize or speak angrily to sb because you do not approve of something they have done

Example: She berated herself for being a bad mother.

S: scold /skəʊld/, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, blast, put down, criticize, slate (informal), censure /ˈsenʃər/, castigate, chide, harangue /həˈræŋ/, lambast(e) /læmˈbæst/, reprove, excoriate /ekˈskɔːrieɪt/, vituperate (archaic) /vɪˈtjuːpəˌreɪt/ or /vʌɪˈtjuːpəreɪt/

A: approve, praise /preɪz/, cheer, admire, acclaim, applaud, compliment, congratulate, commend, laud, extol /ɪkˈstoʊl/, take your hat off to  

 

 

Prepared by

Mohammad Fardous Rahman

MA in English Language Teaching (ELT)

TEPT (online), Oregon University, USA

 

Dictionaries consulted:

• https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
• https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
• https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
• https://www.thesaurus.com/
• https://www.powerthesaurus.org/
• https://www.macmillandictionary.com/
• https://www.thefreedictionary.com/
• https://www.ldoceonline.com/ (Longman Dictionary)
• https://www.freecollocation.com/