Vocabulary Word Meanings: Benign, Benediction to Beguile, Belie

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Benign

adj- gentle; kindhearted; mild

Also used as: Benignly (adv)

Albert had a reputation for being a bully, but deep down he was a benign soul.

Benediction

noun- good wishes; a blessing

Note: any word beginning with the prefix “bene” has a positive meaning, and usually refers to a good result (or benefit) .

The minister delivered a benediction before the ceremony.

Belligerent

adj- having a strong tendency to argue and flight

Also used as: Belligerence (noun) ; belligerently (adv)

Note: the root “bell” has to do with fighting or war. Connect this word with “bellicose” which has almost the same meaning.

The angry customer՚s belligerence made it hard for the saleswoman to remain polite.

Brevity (Noun)

briefness; conciseness

Employers are busy people, so brevity is important in a resume.

Benevolent

adj- kindhearted; good- natured; generous

Also used as: Benevolence (noun) ; benevolently (adv)

Miserable and greedy for most of his life, the man becomes benevolent during his last years.

Bequeath

verb- to leave behind or hand down through a will; transmit

Also used as: Bequeathal, bequest (nouns)

Many people bequeath large sums of money to their favorite charities.

Baleful

adj- harmful; mean acing

Also used as: Balefully (adv)

A hungry wolf is a baleful sight to campers.

Bombast

noun- speech or writing intended to impress the audience; pompous, very long, well vocabulary

Also used as: Bombastic (adj)

The newcomer՚s bombast offended the town՚s more mild mannered residents.

Blight

noun – decay; disease; widespread death

Also used as: Blight (verb) ; blighted (adj)

When a main crop is hit with blight, widespread famine may result.

Bolster

verb- to a support; to reinforce

Nancy՚s goal of a scholarship was bolstered by an unexpected as in Biology.

Bumptious

adj- pushy; obnoxiously self- assertive

Also used as: Bumptiousness (noun) ; bumptiously (adv)

The bumptious car salesman sacred customers away.

Banal

adj- boring; trite; insipid

Also used as: Banality- noun

The script was filled with banal and predictable scenes.

Beguile

verb- to cheat or deceive, usually through charm; also, to amuse

Also used as: Beguiling – adj; beguilingly- adv

Guile, which means deceitful shrewdness.

At first, she was beguiled by his charm and attention.

Belie

verb- to give the impression that is the opposite of the way things really are to misrepresent

Her calm manner belied a fierce ambition.