This list includes 115 Adjectives that start with B, from “bad” to “buzzing”. It covers common and less-common one-word descriptors useful for tone, texture, and emphasis.
Adjectives that start with B are single-word descriptors beginning with the letter B, describing qualities and states. Many come from Old English, Latin, or imitate sounds, as in “buzzing”.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Definition, Example, and Register.
Word: The adjective in its base form so you can copy or test it directly in writing and speaking.
Definition: A concise one-line meaning that helps you choose the right adjective for tone and clarity.
Example: A short natural sentence showing common usage, so you see how the adjective fits context.
Register: Notes on formality or style (for example colloquial or archaic) to help you match tone.
Adjectives that start with B
| Adjective | Definition | Example sentence | Register/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| bad | Of poor quality or harmful | That was a bad movie to watch alone. | neutral |
| balanced | Showing sensible judgment; evenly distributed | She gave a balanced view of the problem. | formal |
| balmy | Mild and pleasantly warm | We enjoyed the balmy evening on the terrace. | informal |
| banal | Lacking originality, boringly predictable | The plot was banal and easy to follow. | formal |
| bang-up | Very good; excellent | She did a bang-up job on the project. | informal |
| bankrupt | Unable to pay debts | The company went bankrupt last year. | formal |
| barbaric | Extremely cruel or uncivilized | Many condemned the barbaric treatment of prisoners. | formal |
| barbarous | Cruel, savage, or primitive | They described the attack as barbarous and shocking. | formal |
| bare | Exposed; minimal; without covering | He entered the room with bare feet. | neutral |
| barren | Unable to produce vegetation or fruit | The field remained barren after the drought. | neutral |
| basic | Fundamental; simple; elementary | Start with the basic instructions before advancing. | neutral |
| bashful | Shy and self-conscious | She looked bashful at the compliment. | neutral |
| battered | Worn, damaged by repeated use or blows | He drove home in the battered old car. | neutral |
| beaten | Defeated or very tired | The team returned home beaten but proud. | neutral |
| beautiful | Pleasing to the senses or mind | The garden looked beautiful in spring. | neutral |
| becalmed | Without wind; motionless | The yacht lay becalmed in the bay. | formal |
| beckoning | Inviting or appealing | A beckoning trail led into the woods. | neutral |
| befitting | Appropriate to the occasion | She wore clothing befitting a formal event. | formal |
| befuddled | Confused or perplexed | He looked befuddled by the instructions. | informal |
| beguiling | Charming in a deceptive way | The actor gave a beguiling performance. | formal |
| belated | Coming later than expected | He sent a belated apology by email. | neutral |
| believable | Capable of being believed | The story sounded believable enough. | neutral |
| bellicose | Demonstratively aggressive or warlike | His bellicose remarks alarmed the neighbors. | formal |
| belligerent | Hostile and aggressive | The witness became belligerent during questioning. | formal |
| benevolent | Kind-hearted and charitable | The foundation made a benevolent donation. | formal |
| beneficial | Causing a good effect | Exercise is beneficial for mental health. | neutral |
| benign | Gentle, harmless, or favorable | The tumor proved to be benign. | formal |
| bent | Determined or having an inclination | She has a bent for languages. | neutral |
| bewildered | Confused and puzzled | He stood bewildered at the busy crossroads. | neutral |
| bewitching | Enchanting or delightful | Her voice was utterly bewitching tonight. | formal |
| biased | Showing bias or prejudice | The report seemed biased in its conclusions. | informal |
| biased | Showing an unfair preference or prejudice | The jury must not be biased. | neutral |
| big | Large in size, amount, or importance | That’s a big improvement for the team. | neutral |
| bijou | Small, elegant, and stylish | They stayed in a bijou downtown hotel. | formal |
| bigoted | Unreasonably intolerant of differing opinions | He was criticized for his bigoted views. | formal |
| bizarre | Very strange or unusual | The film had a bizarre twist ending. | neutral |
| black | Of the color black; dark; secretive | She wore a black dress to the event. | neutral |
| blackened | Made black or presented negatively | The news blackened his once-clean reputation. | neutral |
| blameless | Free from guilt or blame | She emerged blameless after the inquiry. | formal |
| bland | Lacking strong features or flavor | The soup tasted bland and needed seasoning. | neutral |
| blank | Empty or expressionless | His face went blank during the test. | neutral |
| blaring | Extremely loud and harsh | A blaring siren woke the neighborhood. | informal |
| bleak | Cold, depressing, or unlikely to improve | The forecast looked bleak for farmers. | neutral |
| bleary | Tired, unfocused, or sore-eyed | She felt bleary after the long flight. | informal |
| blessed | Endowed with divine favor or fortunate | They felt blessed to have good friends. | neutral |
| blind | Unable to see or lacking perception | He was blind to the obvious truth. | neutral |
| blinding | Extremely bright or impressive | The stage lights were blinding tonight. | informal |
| blissful | Full of happiness | They spent a blissful week by the sea. | neutral |
| blithe | Carefree and happy; casual disregard | She showed a blithe disregard for rules. | formal |
| blizzardy | Characterized by heavy snow and wind | The road became blizzardy and dangerous. | informal |
| bloated | Swollen from fluid or gas; overinflated | The company was bloated with unnecessary staff. | neutral |
| bloody | Covered in blood or intense | The battle was bloody and chaotic. | informal |
| blond | Light yellowish hair color | He prefers blond highlights in summer. | neutral |
| blonde | Light yellowish hair color, typically feminine | She is a natural blonde. | neutral |
| blossoming | Beginning to grow or develop well | Her career is blossoming this year. | neutral |
| blotchy | Marked with irregular spots or patches | His skin became blotchy after the hike. | informal |
| blowzy | Unkempt and coarse in appearance | The old innkeeper looked a little blowzy. | archaic |
| blunt | Direct in speech; not sharp | Be blunt with your feedback, please. | neutral |
| blurred | Not clearly seen or understood | The photograph was blurred by motion. | neutral |
| blurry | Lacking sharpness; unclear visually | The text was too blurry to read. | informal |
| boastful | Showing excessive pride in achievements | His boastful remarks annoyed everyone. | neutral |
| bodacious | Remarkable or audacious | She made a bodacious career move last year. | informal |
| bogus | Not genuine; fake | They discovered the documents were bogus. | informal |
| boisterous | Noisy, energetic, and cheerful | The boisterous crowd cheered loudly. | neutral |
| bold | Confident and courageous | She made a bold decision to change careers. | neutral |
| bolstered | Supported or strengthened | Her confidence was bolstered by the praise. | neutral |
| bony | Thin to the point of showing bones | The dog looked bony and neglected. | neutral |
| bookish | Studious or resembling books | He’s a quiet, bookish young man. | neutral |
| boomless | Lacking a boom or rapid growth | The economy felt boomless during the recession. | rare |
| booming | Growing or resonant | The booming economy surprised analysts. | neutral |
| boorish | Rude and insensitive | His boorish behavior embarrassed the group. | formal |
| boring | Not interesting or tedious | The lecture was boring and long. | neutral |
| born | Having been given birth; innate | He is a born leader. | neutral |
| borrowing | Taken temporarily | She had a borrowing arrangement with the neighbor. | neutral |
| bountiful | Plentiful and generous | The harvest was bountiful this year. | formal |
| bound | Certain to happen or tied | She was bound to notice eventually. | neutral |
| boundless | Without limits or end | He felt boundless enthusiasm for the work. | formal |
| bovine | Relating to cattle; sluggish | The patient, bovine expression worried the staff. | formal |
| boyish | Characteristic of a boy; youthful | He still had a boyish grin. | neutral |
| brash | Impudent, rude, or showy | Her brash remarks offended several guests. | informal |
| brave | Showing courage | Rescuers made a brave effort in the storm. | neutral |
| brawny | Muscular and strong | The brawny worker lifted the heavy crate. | neutral |
| brazen | Bold and without shame | He made a brazen attempt to take credit. | formal |
| breathless | Out of breath; excited | She returned breathless from her run. | neutral |
| breathtaking | Extremely impressive or beautiful | The view from the summit was breathtaking. | neutral |
| breakable | Able to be broken | Handle the package carefully; it’s breakable. | neutral |
| breakneck | Dangerously fast | They drove at breakneck speed along the coast. | informal |
| breaking | Causing rupture or newly occurring | Breaking news interrupted the program. | neutral |
| breathtakingly | Note: adverb form not allowed | INVALID ENTRY | invalid |
| brief | Short in duration or concise | Keep your comments brief, please. | neutral |
| bright | Giving off or reflecting much light; intelligent | She’s a bright student with quick insights. | neutral |
| brilliant | Extremely clever or bright | That was a brilliant solution to the problem. | neutral |
| brisk | Quick and energetic | They took a brisk walk before dinner. | neutral |
| bristly | Having stiff hairs or showing irritation | His bristly response surprised her. | neutral |
| brittle | Easily broken; fragile | The old glass had become brittle with age. | neutral |
| broad | Wide in extent or general | She has a broad knowledge of science. | neutral |
| broken | Damaged or not functioning | The vase lay broken on the floor. | neutral |
| bronze | Of a brownish metallic color | He wore a bronze medal around his neck. | neutral |
| brown | Of brown color | The leaves turned brown in autumn. | neutral |
| bruised | Damaged, usually by a blow | She had a bruised arm after the fall. | neutral |
| brutal | Extremely cruel, harsh, or severe | The match was brutal and exhausting. | neutral |
| bubbling | Full of cheerful energy; producing bubbles | She entered the room bubbling with excitement. | informal |
| budgetary | Relating to a budget | They faced strict budgetary constraints. | formal |
| buoyant | Able to float; cheerful and resilient | The economy remained buoyant despite setbacks. | formal |
| bumpy | Rough, with bumps | The road was bumpy after the storm. | informal |
| burdensome | Causing hardship or difficulty | The new regulations proved burdensome for small shops. | formal |
| burly | Large and strong | The burly guard stood at the door. | neutral |
| burning | Extremely urgent or on fire | There’s a burning need for reform. | neutral |
| burnt | Charred or ruined by heat | The toast was burnt to a crisp. | neutral |
| buried | Hidden or covered | They found the buried treasure near the shore. | neutral |
| bushy | Thick with vegetation or hair | He had a short, bushy beard. | neutral |
| businesslike | Efficient and professional | Her businesslike manner kept the meeting on track. | formal |
| busy | Occupying attention or full of activity | She’s too busy to meet today. | neutral |
| buttery | Having the qualities of butter; smooth | She spread the buttery toast for breakfast. | informal |
| buzzing | Full of humming activity or sound | The office was buzzing with preparation. | informal |
Descriptions
bad
General-purpose adjective for poor quality, performance, or moral wrong; collocates with news, habit, decision.
balanced
Used for fair judgments, diets, or physical arrangements; collocates with argument, diet, approach.
balmy
Describes mild weather or foolishness (informal); often modifies breeze, night, or comment.
banal
Critiques writing, speech, or ideas; common collocations include remark, plot, and cliche.
bang-up
Colloquial adjective meaning excellent; often used in conversational American English.
bankrupt
Legal and figurative use for financial collapse or moral failure; common with company, state.
barbaric
Strong negative adjective for cruelty or brutality; used in human-rights, historical contexts.
barbarous
Similar to barbaric; literary or formal use for brutality or savage acts.
bare
Used for physical exposure, minimal amounts, or figurative simplicity; collocates with wall, essentials.
barren
Used for land, imagination, or production; implies lifelessness or lack of results.
basic
Widely used to mean simple, essential, or introductory; common with concept, needs, skills.
bashful
Describes modest or shy behavior; often used with smile, glance, or person.
battered
Used for objects or people showing wear, injury, or defeat; collocates with coat, history.
beaten
Describes loss in competition or exhaustion; common with track, path (also idiomatic).
beautiful
Highly common adjective for aesthetic quality; collocates with scenery, person, idea.
becalmed
Nautical adjective describing lack of wind; used metaphorically for stalled situations.
beckoning
Often used figuratively for something tempting; collocates with path, opportunity.
befitting
Means suitable or proper; used with behavior, attire, tone.
befuddled
Casual adjective for confusion; common in conversational writing and speech.
beguiling
Suggests charm that may mislead; used with smile, manner, or voice.
belated
Used for belated actions or celebrations; collocates with gift, apology, arrival.
believable
Used to judge plausibility; common with explanation, tone.
bellicose
Describes aggressive or combative attitudes; used in political or descriptive writing.
belligerent
Used in legal, political, or personal contexts for aggression; collocates with state, attitude.
benevolent
Positive moral adjective for generosity or goodwill; often describes institutions, rulers.
beneficial
Common for useful effects on health, policy, or outcomes; collocates with effect, policy.
benign
Medical and general usage meaning non-threatening; used with influence, climate, condition.
bent
Can mean determined or inclined toward something; also physically curved; collocates with talent, purpose.
bewildered
Describes strong confusion; common in narratives and descriptions of reactions.
bewitching
Romantic or literary adjective implying irresistible charm; collocates with smile, beauty.
biased
Common variant of biased in informal usage; indicates partiality or unfair slant.
biased
Used in legal, academic, and everyday contexts to indicate unfair influence or partiality.
big
Extremely common basic adjective for size or significance; collocates with problem, idea, and number.
bijou
Loanword from French, used for small, fashionable places or objects; slightly literary.
bigoted
Strong negative adjective for intolerance; used in moral and political discussions.
bizarre
Describes oddity or eccentricity; common with behavior, appearance, situation.
black
Basic color adjective with literal and figurative uses; collocates widely with mood, market.
blackened
Can be literal (charred) or figurative (sullied reputation); collocates with name, remains.
blameless
Describes moral or legal innocence; used in reports, character descriptions.
bland
Used for taste, personality, or style that is unremarkable or mild.
blank
Used for spaces, expressions, or responses lacking content; collocates with stare, page.
blaring
Describes loud, prominent sounds or lights; common in news and casual speech.
bleak
Used for landscapes, prospects, or moods; strong negative connotation.
bleary
Describes tired eyes or mental fuzziness, often after lack of sleep or travel.
blessed
Religious and colloquial uses for fortunate status; also used as intensifier in speech.
blind
Literal and figurative uses for lack of sight or awareness; collocates with spot, faith.
blinding
Used for intense brightness or overwhelming quality; common with speed, light.
blissful
Describes serene happiness; used for moments, ignorance, or experiences.
blithe
Often literary for carefree cheerfulness; can imply irresponsibility when paired with disregard.
blizzardy
Weather adjective describing blizzard conditions; used in forecasts or vivid descriptions.
bloated
Literal bodily swelling or figurative excess (organizations, budgets); collocates with budget, ego.
bloody
Can be literal or emphatic intensifier (informal British); register ranges from neutral to coarse.
blond
Describes hair color; variant forms blond/blonde exist; common in descriptions of appearance.
blonde
Same meaning as blond; often used for females in modern usage; collocates with hair, model.
blossoming
Used for plants literal and for development or flourishing in careers, relationships.
blotchy
Describes uneven marks on skin or surfaces; common in cosmetic or weather-related descriptions.
blowzy
Older term describing untidy appearance, now somewhat dated or literary.
blunt
Used for frankness in communication or lack of sharpness; collocates with instrument, comment.
blurred
Describes lack of visual clarity or indistinct meaning; common with lines, memory.
blurry
Colloquial variant of blurred; common in informal speech and digital contexts.
boastful
Negative connotation for bragging; collocates with tone, attitude, comment.
bodacious
Slangy adjective for boldness or excellence; informal and regional usage.
bogus
Colloquial term for fake or fraudulent items or claims; used widely in speech and media.
boisterous
Describes lively, noisy behavior; often used for children, parties, or crowds.
bold
Positive sense for courage or striking design; collocates with move, color, claim.
bolstered
Common participial adjective meaning supported; used in emotional, structural contexts.
bony
Describes thinness or angular appearance; used for animals and people.
bookish
Describes studiousness, academic interests, or literary style; collocates with person, nature.
boomless
Uncommon adjective used to describe lack of boom; used in economic commentary.
booming
Describes rapid growth or loud resonance; common with economy, voice, business.
boorish
Negative descriptor for coarse, uncivil manners; often used in social criticism.
boring
Everyday adjective for lack of interest; collocates with task, story, job.
born
Used attributively for innate qualities or origin (born citizen); common in phrases.
borrowing
Describes temporary use or financial transaction; more often used as noun, but adjective attested.
bountiful
Positive adjective for abundance or generosity; common with harvest, supply.
bound
Can mean destined, tied, or heading for; used in many idiomatic constructions.
boundless
High-intensity adjective for limitless quantity or energy; collocates with energy, imagination.
bovine
Literary or scientific adjective relating to cattle or describing dullness; used figuratively.
boyish
Used for youthful appearance or behavior; collocates with charm, enthusiasm.
brash
Negative adjective for impudence or tasteless boldness; common in casual criticism.
brave
Positive adjective for courage or admirable action; collocates with effort, decision.
brawny
Describes physical strength and muscle; used for people or animals.
brazen
Negative or admiring depending on context; collocates with lie, behavior.
breathless
Literal for oxygen shortage or figurative for excitement; used with anticipation, suspense.
breathtaking
High-intensity positive adjective for scenery, performances, or moments.
breakable
Literal safety or caution adjective; common on labels and product descriptions.
breakneck
Describes dangerously high speed or risky pace; vivid, often hyperbolic.
breaking
Used for recent events or things that break; common in journalism and descriptions.
breathtakingly
INVALID
brief
Widely used for short time spans or concise communication; collocates with moment, summary.
bright
Versatile adjective for light, color, or intellect; collocates with idea, future.
brilliant
High-praise adjective for intelligence, color, or performance; used in arts and academics.
brisk
Describes pace or business activity; collocates with pace, trade.
bristly
Literal for hairlike texture, figurative for irritable manner; used for beard, surface.
brittle
Used for materials, relationships, or health indicating fragility; collocates with bones, economy.
broad
Describes physical width or wide scope in ideas or views; collocates with range, smile.
broken
Common adjective for physical damage and emotional states; collocates with heart, promise.
bronze
Color adjective used in art, sports, and description of surfaces.
brown
Basic color adjective used literally and figuratively; collocates with hair, shoes.
bruised
Physical injury or emotional hurt; common with reputation, ego.
brutal
Used for violence, honesty, or difficulty; collocates with attack, honesty.
bubbling
Describes effusive personality or literal bubbling liquids; lively, positive connotation.
budgetary
Common in economics, governance, and business for fiscal matters.
buoyant
Literal for flotation, figurative for morale or markets; common collocations include market, mood.
bumpy
Describes uneven surfaces or troubled processes; used with ride, road.
burdensome
Describes obligations, taxes, or duties that are onerous; collocates with load, duty.
burly
Describes stout, muscular build; often used for men or animals.
burning
Literal for fire or figuratively urgent issues; collocates with question, desire.
burnt
Literal damage by burning or figurative disappointment; common in cooking contexts.
buried
Literal for hidden underground or figurative for suppressed information.
bushy
Describes dense growth of plants or hair; common with eyebrows, tail.
businesslike
Professional, no-nonsense demeanor; used in workplace descriptions.
busy
Extremely common for active schedules, places, or signals; collocates with street, signal.
buttery
Descriptive for texture, richness, or smooth sound; used with pastry, voice.
buzzing
Describes lively atmosphere or continuous sound; common in event and city descriptions.