bard

  1. put a caparison on

    Synonyms : barde, caparison, dress up
    Type Of : embellish, grace, ornament, adorn, beautify, decorate

  2. a lyric poet

    Type Of : poet

  3. an ornamental caparison for a horse

    Type Of : trapping, housing, caparison

bane

  1. something causing misery or death

    Synonyms : curse, nemesis, scourge
    Type Of : affliction
    Examples :
    • the bane of my life

banality

  1. a trite or obvious remark

    Synonyms : bromide, cliche, commonplace, platitude
    Type Of : comment, input, remark, truism

banal

  1. repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse

    Synonyms : commonplace, hackneyed, old-hat, shopworn, stock, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn

balk

  1. the area on a billiard table behind the balkline

    Synonyms : baulk
    Type Of : expanse, area, surface area
    Examples :
    • a player with ball in hand must play from the balk

  2. one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof

    Synonyms : baulk, rafter
    Type Of : beam

  3. something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

    Synonyms : baulk, check, deterrent, handicap, hinderance, hindrance, impediment
    Type Of : difficulty

  4. refuse to comply

    Synonyms : baulk, jib, resist
    Type Of : disobey

  5. an illegal pitching motion while runners are on base

    Type Of : delivery, pitch

buttress

  1. a support usually of stone or brick; supports the wall of a building

    Synonyms : buttressing
    Type Of : support

  2. make stronger or defensible

    Type Of : strengthen, beef up, fortify
    Examples :
    • buttress your thesis

  3. reinforce with a buttress

    Type Of : reinforce, reenforce

burnish

  1. polish and make shiny

    Synonyms : buff, furbish
    Type Of : smoothen, smooth, polish, shine

  2. the property of being smooth and shiny

    Synonyms : gloss, glossiness, polish
    Type Of : effulgence, shine, smoothness, refulgency, radiance, radiancy, refulgence

burgeon

  1. grow and flourish

    Type Of : grow
    Examples :
    • The burgeoning administration
    • The burgeoning population

bureaucracy

  1. nonelective government officials

    Synonyms : bureaucratism
    Type Of : government officials, officialdom

  2. a government that is administered primarily by bureaus that are staffed with nonelective officials

    Type Of : authorities, government, regime

  3. any organization in which action is obstructed by insistence on unnecessary procedures and red tape

    Type Of : organisation, organization

bulwark

  1. a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away

    Synonyms : breakwater, groin, groyne, jetty, mole, seawall
    Type Of : barrier

  2. an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes

    Synonyms : rampart, wall
    Type Of : embankment

  3. a fencelike structure around a deck (usually plural)

    Type Of : barrier

  4. defend with a bulwark

    Type Of : defend