Vocabularies

English Vocabulary Dictionary | Word Meanings, Definitions & Examples

noun
/ˈbæləd/

a narrative song or poem, often sentimental or romantic

"The singer performed a moving ballad about lost love."

noun
/ˈbælæst/

heavy material used to stabilize a ship or vehicle

"The ship was loaded with ballast to remain steady in the storm."

noun
/bæˈleɪ/

a highly stylized and artistic form of dance

"She has trained for years in classical ballet."

noun/verb
/bəˈluːn/

A small bag made of thin rubber or similar material that can be inflated with air or gas; as a verb, to expand rapidly.

"The children played with a red balloon at the party."

🗳️

ballot

noun
/ˈbælət/

a process of voting, usually in secret; the paper used to record a vote

"Voters cast their ballot in the election."

🧴

balm

noun
/bɑːm/

A soothing ointment or something that provides comfort or relief.

"The balm helped relieve the pain from her sunburn."

🌤️

balmy

adjective
/ˈbɑːmi/

Mild and pleasantly warm; soothing.

"We enjoyed a walk on a balmy summer evening."

noun
/ˈbɔːlsəm/

An aromatic resinous substance or plant used for healing or soothing.

"The tree produced a fragrant balsam used in medicine."

noun
/ˈbɔːl.səm ˈæp.əl/

a bitter gourd vegetable with a bumpy green skin, also known as bitter melon

"Balsam apple is cooked with spices to reduce its bitter taste."

ban definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
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ban

verb
/bæn/

to officially or legally prohibit something

"The government banned smoking in public places."

banal definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
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banal

adjective
/bəˈnɑːl/ or /ˈbeɪnəl/

Lacking originality; boringly obvious and commonplace.

"His speech was full of banal clichés."

noun
/bəˈnæləti/

The condition of being unoriginal, boring, or obvious; trite remark or quality.

"The speech was criticized for its banality and lack of originality."

noun
/bəˈnænə/

a long curved fruit with a yellow skin and soft sweet flesh inside

"She ate a ripe banana for breakfast."

🎵

band

noun
/bænd/

a group of musicians who play music together

"The band performed live at the concert."

noun, verb
/ˈbændɪdʒ/

a strip of material used to cover or protect a wound; to cover or wrap a wound with such material

"The nurse carefully bandaged his injured arm."

noun
/bænˈdænə/

A large, often brightly colored handkerchief, typically worn on the head or around the neck.

"He tied a red bandanna around his neck."

bandwidth definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
noun
ˈbænd.wɪdθ

A range of frequencies within a given band, in particular that used for transmitting a signal; the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time.

"Increasing bandwidth enhances internet speed."

💬

bandy

verb
/ˈbændi/

To pass (words, ideas, or gossip) back and forth in a casual or argumentative way.

"They bandied jokes across the table."

bane

noun
/beɪn/

A cause of great distress, harm, or annoyance.

"Traffic jams are the bane of city life."

☠️

baneful

adjective
/ˈbeɪnfəl/

Causing harm, ruin, or destruction; deadly or poisonous.

"His baneful influence ruined the community."

💥

Bang

noun
/bæŋ/

a sudden loud noise; a hard blow or hit

"The door closed with a loud bang that woke everyone up."

noun
/ˈbæŋ.ɡəl/

a rigid bracelet or anklet worn as jewelry

"She wore beautiful gold bangles on her wrists."

noun
/ˈbæn.jən/

a sleeveless undergarment worn next to the skin; vest

"He put on a cotton banian under his shirt."

banish definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
verb
/ˈbænɪʃ/

to send someone away, often as a punishment; to get rid of something unwanted

"The king decided to banish the traitor from the kingdom."

noun
/ˈbænɪstər/

a railing supported by posts at the side of a staircase or balcony

"She held the banister tightly while going down the stairs."

🏦

bank

noun/verb
/bæŋk/

an institution where money is kept and managed; or to tilt in movement (like an airplane or riverbank)

"She deposited the money in the bank."

noun
/ˈbæŋkər/

a person who works in or manages a bank

"The banker approved the loan after reviewing the documents."

noun
/ˈbæŋkɪŋ/

the business or services provided by a bank

"Online banking has made financial transactions easier."

noun
/ˈbæŋkrʌpt/

a person unable to pay debts; having no money; completely lacking in something

"The company went bankrupt after years of poor financial management."

noun
/ˈbæŋkrʌptsi/

the state of being unable to pay debts owed, declared by a legal process

"The company declared bankruptcy after months of financial struggles."

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banner

noun
/ˈbænər/

a large printed sign used for advertisements or announcements

"The company displayed a banner to advertise their new product."

banter definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
noun/verb
/ˈbæntər/

playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks

"The colleagues enjoyed some light banter during the meeting."

adjective/verb
/ˈbæntərɪŋ/

characterized by good-humored teasing or joking

"They had a bantering conversation at the café."

🍺

bar

noun, verb
/bɑːr/

a counter where drinks are served; to prevent or block

"They decided to meet at the bar after work."

🪝

barb

noun
/bɑːrb/

a sharp projection such as on a fishhook; a cutting remark

"The fishhook has a small barb to keep the fish from escaping."

noun
/ˈbɑːr.bər/

a person whose job is to cut men's hair and shave or trim beards

"The barber gave him a perfect haircut for his wedding."

noun
/bɑːrˈbeəriən/

a person from an uncivilized group; someone who is cruel or brutal

"The ancient Romans considered anyone outside their empire to be barbarians."

noun
/ˈbɑːrbərɪzəm/

extreme cruelty or brutality; absence of culture and civilization

"The barbarism of the war crimes shocked the entire international community."

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Barbarous

adjective
/ˈbɑːr.bə.rəs/

extremely cruel or uncivilized

"The prisoners were treated in a barbarous manner."

noun
/ˈbɑːr.kəˌroʊl/

a traditional Venetian boat song, often in 6/8 time

"The orchestra played a beautiful barcarole that reminded me of Venice."

bard definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
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bard

noun
/bɑːrd/

a poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with oral traditions

"Shakespeare is often called the Bard of Avon."

🌿

Bare

adjective
/beər/

not covered by any clothing or decoration; simple and without addition

"He walked on the beach with bare feet."

adjective
/ˈbɛərˌfeɪst/

shameless and undisguised; openly bold or unashamed

"He told a barefaced lie in front of everyone."

adverb
/ˈbɛərli/

only just; almost not

"She barely passed the exam."

noun
/ˈbɛərnəs/

the state of being bare or uncovered; lack of decoration, warmth, or concealment

"The bareness of the room made it feel cold and unwelcoming."

bargain definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
noun, verb
/ˈbɑːrɡən/

an agreement between two or more parties; something bought at a good price

"We managed to get the car at a real bargain."

noun
/ˈbærɪˌtoʊn/

a male singing voice between tenor and bass

"The singer’s baritone voice impressed the audience."

bark definition card — visual illustration of the meaning
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bark

verb
/bɑːrk/

to make a sharp sound like a dog; to speak angrily

"The dog barks at strangers."

noun
/ˈbɑː.li/

a cereal grain used for food, brewing beer, and animal feed

"The farmer harvested barley from his fields in autumn."

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barn

noun
/bɑːn/

a large building used for storing grain or housing farm animals

"The farmer keeps his cows in the barn."