This list includes 64 SAT words that start with B, from “baffle” to “byzantine”. These words are common in reading passages, essays, and high-value vocabulary lists used for test prep.
SAT words that start with B are useful, often precise terms that boost comprehension and writing. Many come from Latin or Greek roots, and some like “byzantine” reflect historical or cultural origins.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Difficulty, Definition, and Example.
Word: The vocabulary term itself, so you can review spelling and recognize it when reading passages.
Difficulty: A concise easy/medium/hard tag that helps you prioritize study focus.
Definition: One-line dictionary-style meaning that clarifies typical usage for quick learning.
Example: A single clear sentence showing natural usage, so you see the word in context.
SAT words that start with B
| Word | Part of speech | Difficulty | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| banal | adjective | medium | So lacking originality as to be obvious and boring. |
| bane | noun | medium | A cause of great distress or annoyance. |
| belabor | verb | medium | To explain or argue excessively or to overwork something. |
| belated | adjective | easy | Coming later than expected or required. |
| belie | verb | medium | To give a false impression or show to be false. |
| bellicose | adjective | hard | Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. |
| belligerent | adjective | medium | Hostile and aggressive; engaged in conflict. |
| benevolent | adjective | medium | Well meaning and kindly; charitable. |
| benefactor | noun | medium | A person who gives money or aid to a cause. |
| benign | adjective | medium | Gentle, harmless, or not malignant. |
| bequeath | verb | medium | To leave personal property by will to someone. |
| berate | verb | medium | To scold or criticize angrily. |
| bereft | adjective | medium | Deprived of or lacking something needed. |
| baffle | verb | medium | To totally bewilder or perplex. |
| balk | verb | medium | To hesitate or refuse to proceed or comply. |
| banal | adjective | medium | So lacking originality as to be obvious and boring. |
| baneful | adjective | hard | Causing harm or ruin; harmful. |
| barrage | noun | medium | A concentrated outpouring, as of questions or blows. |
| baroque | adjective | hard | Highly ornate, elaborate, or complex in style. |
| bask | verb | easy | To lie in or expose oneself to pleasant warmth or attention. |
| bastion | noun | medium | A stronghold or fortification; a place defending principles. |
| bathos | noun | hard | An abrupt change from serious to trivial, often in art. |
| beatific | adjective | hard | Displaying blissful happiness or serenity. |
| beatify | verb | hard | To make supremely happy or to declare blessed. |
| beckon | verb | easy | To signal or summon with a gesture. |
| begrudge | verb | medium | To resent another’s good fortune; to give reluctantly. |
| beguile | verb | hard | To charm or trick someone, often deceptively. |
| beholden | adjective | medium | Owing thanks or having an obligation to someone. |
| bellicose | adjective | hard | Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. |
| bellwether | noun | hard | An indicator or predictor of future trends. |
| bemused | adjective | medium | Confused or puzzled; often quietly amused. |
| beneficence | noun | hard | The act of doing good or causing good to be done. |
| benevolence | noun | medium | Kindness or goodwill; charitable acts. |
| benediction | noun | hard | A blessing or expression of good wishes. |
| benignity | noun | hard | Kindness or gentleness; the state of being benign. |
| bequeath | verb | medium | To leave personal property by will to someone. |
| beseech | verb | hard | To beg eagerly or urgently for something. |
| beset | verb | medium | To trouble or threaten persistently; surround. |
| besmirch | verb | hard | To damage someone’s reputation; defile. |
| bestow | verb | medium | To give as a gift or honor. |
| betray | verb | medium | To reveal unintentionally or to be disloyal to. |
| bizarre | adjective | medium | Very unusual or strange in appearance or style. |
| bland | adjective | easy | Lacking strong features or personality; uninteresting. |
| blatant | adjective | medium | Done openly and unashamedly; obvious. |
| bleak | adjective | medium | Cold, harsh, and without hope or encouragement. |
| blight | noun | medium | Something that spoils, damages, or destroys. |
| blithe | adjective | hard | Casually indifferent in a way that shows carelessness. |
| bombastic | adjective | hard | High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated. |
| boisterous | adjective | medium | Noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy. |
| bolster | verb | medium | To support, strengthen, or reinforce. |
| bounteous | adjective | hard | Generously given; abundant. |
| bountiful | adjective | medium | Large in quantity; generous. |
| brawl | noun | easy | A noisy fight or quarrel among people. |
| breach | noun | medium | A gap, violation, or break in relations or defenses. |
| brevity | noun | medium | Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech. |
| broach | verb | medium | To bring up a subject for discussion. |
| broach | verb | medium | To bring up a subject for discussion. |
| bucolic | adjective | hard | Relating to pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life. |
| buffet | verb | medium | To strike repeatedly or to batter; also to push about. |
| bulwark | noun | hard | A defensive wall or strong support against danger. |
| bumptious | adjective | hard | Self-assertive to an irritating degree; pushy. |
| burgeon | verb | medium | To grow or increase rapidly; flourish. |
| buttress | verb | medium | To strengthen or support an argument or structure. |
| byzantine | adjective | hard | Extremely complex, intricate, or convoluted. |
Descriptions
banal
The plot felt banal. SAT-relevance: commonly tested to describe trite or unoriginal language.
bane
Procrastination was the student’s bane. SAT-relevance: useful on reading passages discussing causes of failure.
belabor
She belabored her point until listeners tuned out. SAT-relevance: appears in writing contexts about overemphasis.
belated
He sent a belated apology. SAT-relevance: straightforward but appears in sentence-completion contexts.
belie
Her smile belied her nervousness. SAT-relevance: common in passages where appearances contradict facts.
bellicose
The diplomat criticized the country’s bellicose rhetoric. SAT-relevance: tests knowledge of tone and attitude words.
belligerent
The belligerent neighbors argued loudly. SAT-relevance: useful for describing tone and character in passages.
benevolent
The foundation made a benevolent donation. SAT-relevance: common in contexts about philanthropy or intentions.
benefactor
A benefactor funded the new library wing. SAT-relevance: appears in passages about patronage and support.
benign
The tumor was benign. SAT-relevance: often contrasts harmful versus harmless conditions in passages.
bequeath
She bequeathed her books to the school. SAT-relevance: appears in vocabulary for legal or historical contexts.
berate
The coach berated the players after mistakes. SAT-relevance: useful for tone and attitude questions.
bereft
He felt bereft after the move. SAT-relevance: appears describing absence or loss.
baffle
The puzzle baffled the students. SAT-relevance: common in reading passages indicating confusion or complexity.
balk
Investors balked at the risky proposal. SAT-relevance: used to show resistance or reluctance in arguments.
banal
The plot felt banal. SAT-relevance: commonly tested to describe trite or unoriginal language.
baneful
The pesticide had baneful environmental effects. SAT-relevance: appears in critical discussions of damage or harm.
barrage
A barrage of questions followed the announcement. SAT-relevance: useful in describing intense, sustained actions.
baroque
The film’s baroque visuals were overwhelming. SAT-relevance: appears in art or style analysis passages.
bask
He basked in the praise. SAT-relevance: simple verb that can appear in tone descriptions.
bastion
The school was a bastion of free inquiry. SAT-relevance: appears in political or institutional contexts.
bathos
The speech descended into bathos. SAT-relevance: appears in rhetorical analysis of tone.
beatific
Her beatific smile brightened the room. SAT-relevance: tests vocabulary for nuanced emotional description.
beatify
The ceremony seemed to beatify the hero. SAT-relevance: rarer but appears in advanced reading passages.
beckon
She beckoned him to come closer. SAT-relevance: simple action verb sometimes used in passages.
begrudge
He begrudged her success despite her effort. SAT-relevance: useful for character motivation and tone.
beguile
He was beguiled by her flattery. SAT-relevance: common in literature passages about persuasion or deceit.
beholden
She felt beholden to her mentor. SAT-relevance: appears in social or historical contexts about obligations.
bellicose
The diplomat criticized the country’s bellicose rhetoric. SAT-relevance: tests knowledge of tone and attitude words.
bellwether
The city became a bellwether for tech growth. SAT-relevance: appears in passages about trends or indicators.
bemused
He looked bemused by the explanation. SAT-relevance: useful for subtle tone distinctions.
beneficence
The charity’s beneficence changed many lives. SAT-relevance: appears in passages on philanthropy or ethics.
benevolence
Her benevolence helped the refugees. SAT-relevance: common on lists of high-value positive traits.
benediction
The priest gave a benediction. SAT-relevance: appears in religious or ceremonial contexts.
benignity
Neighbors praised her benignity. SAT-relevance: uncommon but appears in tone descriptions.
bequeath
She bequeathed her books to the school. SAT-relevance: appears in vocabulary for legal or historical contexts.
beseech
They beseeched the council for help. SAT-relevance: shows urgency in appeals or requests.
beset
The project was beset by delays. SAT-relevance: often used in passages about persistent problems.
besmirch
The scandal besmirched his good name. SAT-relevance: appears in texts about reputation and character.
bestow
The university bestowed an honorary degree. SAT-relevance: common in formal contexts and reading passages.
betray
Her smile betrayed her nervousness. SAT-relevance: often used in literary analysis for revealing traits.
bizarre
The plot took a bizarre turn. SAT-relevance: common descriptive word in reading passages.
bland
The lecture was bland and unmemorable. SAT-relevance: simple adjective but useful for tone questions.
blatant
His blatant disregard for rules shocked everyone. SAT-relevance: appears frequently to describe obvious wrongdoing.
bleak
The forecast looked bleak for farmers. SAT-relevance: used in passages describing grim situations.
blight
The blight ruined the crops. SAT-relevance: appears in environmental or economic discussions.
blithe
She showed a blithe disregard for rules. SAT-relevance: tests nuanced tone and attitude vocabulary.
bombastic
The politician’s speech was bombastic. SAT-relevance: common for questions about style and tone.
boisterous
The students grew boisterous during recess. SAT-relevance: appears in descriptive passages about crowds.
bolster
New evidence bolstered the theory. SAT-relevance: frequent in argumentative and evidence-based contexts.
bounteous
The harvest was bounteous this year. SAT-relevance: appears in descriptive passages about abundance.
bountiful
They enjoyed a bountiful feast. SAT-relevance: common in descriptions of plentiful resources.
brawl
A brawl broke out at the bar. SAT-relevance: simple noun sometimes in narrative contexts.
breach
The agreement suffered a serious breach. SAT-relevance: common in legal and diplomatic passages.
brevity
The speech was praised for brevity. SAT-relevance: often tested in questions about tone and concision.
broach
She broached the topic carefully at dinner. SAT-relevance: appears in passages about introducing sensitive topics.
broach
She broached the topic carefully at dinner. SAT-relevance: appears in passages about introducing sensitive topics.
bucolic
They moved to a bucolic village. SAT-relevance: common in descriptive and pastoral passages.
buffet
Waves buffeted the shore all night. SAT-relevance: used figuratively in passages about hardship.
bulwark
Libraries can be a bulwark against ignorance. SAT-relevance: often used metaphorically in arguments.
bumptious
His bumptious manner alienated colleagues. SAT-relevance: tests advanced tone vocabulary.
burgeon
Tech startups continue to burgeon in the city. SAT-relevance: common in passages about growth or expansion.
buttress
The data buttressed her conclusions. SAT-relevance: frequently appears in evidence and argument contexts.
byzantine
The legal code was byzantine and confusing. SAT-relevance: appears to describe complex systems or procedures.