Vocabularies

English Vocabulary Dictionary | Word Meanings, Definitions & Examples

adjective
/ˈbroʊkən/

damaged or not working properly

"The chair is broken and needs repair."

noun
/ˈbroʊ.kər/

a person who buys and sells things for others as a middleman, especially in financial or property deals

"He works as a real estate broker in the city."

noun
/ˈbroʊkərɪdʒ/

A firm that acts as an intermediary between buyers and sellers, often charging a fee.

"The real estate brokerage helped them find a new home."

noun
/ˈbroʊmaɪd/

A trite or unoriginal idea or remark; also a chemical compound of bromine.

"His speech was full of old bromides about hard work."

noun
/ˈbroʊmiːn/

a dark red, dense, toxic liquid element used in making dyes, flame retardants, and medications

"Bromine is commonly used in water treatment chemicals."

noun
/brɒŋˈkaɪtɪs/

inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs

"The doctor diagnosed him with acute bronchitis."

noun
/ˈbrɒŋkəs/

either of the two main branches of the trachea that lead directly into the lungs

"The left bronchus carries air into the left lung."

noun
/brɑːnz/

a metal made by combining copper and tin, often used for statues and medals

"The statue was made of solid bronze."

noun
/broʊtʃ/

a decorative jewelry pin that is attached to clothing

"She wore a beautiful silver brooch on her jacket."

🐥

brood

verb
/bruːd/

to think deeply about something that makes one unhappy; also, a group of young birds hatched at the same time

"He sat alone, brooding over his failures."

🏞️

brook

noun/verb
/brʊk/

As a noun: a small natural stream; As a verb: to tolerate or endure something

"The village was built near a clear brook."

🧹

Broom

noun
/brum/

a long-handled brush of bristles or twigs, used for sweeping

"She used an old broom to sweep the fallen leaves from the porch."

👨‍👦

brother

noun
/ˈbrʌðər/

a male sibling

"My brother is two years older than me."

noun
/ˈbrʌðərhʊd/

The relationship between brothers; an association of people with common interests

"The soldiers shared a strong sense of brotherhood."

🤨

brow

noun
/braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes; forehead

"She wiped the sweat from her brow."

verb
/ˈbraʊˌbiːt/

To intimidate or bully someone into doing something

"The lawyer tried to browbeat the witness."

🤎

Brown

adjective
/braʊn/

of a color produced by mixing red, yellow, and black

"She wore a brown dress to the party."

adjective
/ˈbraʊn.ɪʃ/

having a color somewhat like brown; tending toward brown

"The old paper had a brownish tint from age."

verb
/braʊz/

To look at or skim through casually, especially online or in a store

"She likes to browse books in the library."

noun
/ˈbraʊzər/

a software application for accessing information on the World Wide Web.

"I use a web browser to search for information online."

noun/verb
/bruːz/

As a noun: an injury appearing as a purple or blue mark on the skin; As a verb: to injure without breaking the skin

"He got a bruise on his arm after falling."

📢

bruit

verb
/bruːt/

to spread a rumor or report widely

"The scandal was quickly bruited about the town."

💥

brunt

noun
/brʌnt/

the worst part or main impact of something unpleasant

"The small town bore the brunt of the storm."

🖌️

Brush

noun/verb
/brʌʃ/

A tool with bristles for cleaning, painting, or grooming; to clean, arrange, or apply with a brush.

"She used a brush to paint the fence."

adjective
/bruːsk/ or /brʌsk/

abrupt or blunt in manner or speech, often seen as rude

"His brusque reply ended the conversation."

adverb
/ˈbruːskli/ or /ˈbrʌskli/

in a blunt, abrupt, or rude manner

"She brusquely dismissed the suggestion."

adjective
/ˈbruː.təl/

extremely cruel or harsh; violent and without feeling

"The dictator’s rule was marked by brutal violence."

noun
/bruːˈtæləti/

extreme cruelty or violence; savage or inhumane treatment

"The brutality of the attack shocked the entire community."

verb
/ˈbruːtəlaɪz/

to treat someone with extreme violence or cruelty; to make something harsh or cruel

"The regime was accused of brutalizing innocent civilians."

adverb
/ˈbruːtəli/

in a cruel, violent, or harsh manner; in a very direct and blunt way

"The prisoners were treated brutally by the guards."

noun
/ˈbʌb.əl/

a thin sphere of liquid enclosing air or gas; a temporary state of inflated value or excitement

"The children chased the bubbles in the air."

🏴‍☠️

buccaneer

noun
/ˌbʌkəˈnɪər/

a pirate, especially one active in the Caribbean during the 17th and 18th centuries

"The buccaneer sailed across the Caribbean in search of treasure."

🦌

buck

noun/verb
/bʌk/

A male deer; also to resist or oppose strongly.

"The horse began to buck wildly as the rider tried to hold on."

noun
/ˈbʌkɪt/

a round open container with a handle, used for carrying liquids or other things

"He filled the bucket with water and carried it to the garden."

bucolic definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
adjective
/bjuːˈkɒlɪk/

Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

"They enjoyed a bucolic picnic by the river."

🌹

Bud

noun
/bʌd/

An undeveloped or immature flower before it opens

"The rose bud will bloom into a beautiful flower in a few days."

🤝

buddy

noun
/ˈbʌdi/

a close friend or companion, used informally

"He went to the movies with his best buddy."

🚶

budge

verb
/bʌdʒ/

To move slightly; to change one’s opinion or position.

"Despite the pressure, he refused to budge from his decision."

noun/verb
/ˈbʌdʒɪt/

An estimate of income and expenditure for a set period of time; to plan expenses and income.

"The family created a budget to manage their expenses."

buff

noun/adjective/verb
/bʌf/

A fan or enthusiast; also to polish or shine something.

"He is a movie buff who watches films every weekend."

noun
/ˈbʌf.ə.loʊ/

a large wild ox with heavy horns; American bison

"The buffalo grazed peacefully in the meadow."

🛡️

buffer

noun/verb
/ˈbʌfər/

Something that lessens or absorbs the impact of a shock; to act as a protective barrier.

"The organization acts as a buffer between workers and management."

🍽️

buffet

noun, verb
/bəˈfeɪ/ (noun), /ˈbʌfɪt/ (verb)

A meal where guests serve themselves from a variety of dishes arranged on a table; also means to strike repeatedly (as a verb).

"We enjoyed a large buffet at the wedding reception."

noun
/bəˈfuːn/

A ridiculous but amusing person; a clown or jester.

"He acted like a buffoon at the party, making everyone laugh."

noun
/bəˈfuːnəri/

Foolish or ridiculous behavior intended to amuse.

"His constant buffoonery irritated the serious audience."

🐞

Bug

noun
/bʌɡ/

a small insect; informally, a flaw or error in a system or program

"There’s a bug in the code that causes the app to crash."

noun
/ˈbʌɡəˌbuː/

An object of fear or worry; an imagined cause of anxiety.

"The threat of inflation became a political bugaboo."

📯

Bugle

noun
/ˈbjuːɡəl/

a brass musical instrument similar to a trumpet but without valves, used especially for military calls

"The soldier played the bugle to signal the start of the ceremony."

build definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
🏗️

build

verb
/bɪld/

To construct something by putting parts or materials together.

"They plan to build a new school in the village."

noun
/ˈbɪldər/

a person or company that constructs buildings or other structures

"The builder checked the site before starting the construction."