This page gathers the 5,691 dictionary entries of which at least one sense is labelled “Figuratively” by Wiktionary. The definition shown is that sense; each word leads to its full entry. Page 6 of 57: from “bloodhound” to “bracha levatala”.
- bloodhound noun A detective or other person skilled at finding people or clues.
- bloodhoundish adj Like, pertaining to, or characteristic of a bloodhound or a detective; able and eager to follow the scent.
- bloodless adj Lacking emotion, passion or vivacity.
- bloodsucker noun Someone who preys on others, or who attempts to take as much from others as possible; an extortioner; a leech.
- bloom noun A state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor; an opening to higher perfection, analogous to that of buds into blossoms.
- bloomer noun One who blooms, matures, or develops.
- blossom noun A blooming period or stage of development; something lovely that gives rich promise.
- blossom forth verb To develop, grow, and mature quickly.
- blotch noun Imperfection; blemish on one’s reputation, stain.
- blow verb To direct or move, usually of a person to a particular location.
- blow away verb To leave, depart.
- blow up verb To explode or be destroyed by explosion.
- blowback noun An unintended adverse result, especially of covert political action.
- blowjob noun A display of excessive praise.
- blubber verb To wet (one's eyes or face) by crying; to beweep; also, to cause (one's face) to disfigure or swell through crying.
- blue balls noun Unfulfilled sexual desire.
- blue devils noun Depressants, especially the barbiturate amobarbital.
- blueprint verb To make a detailed operational plan for; to design or plan out.
- bluish adj Somewhat depressed; sad.
- blunder verb To move in an unsteady way.
- blunt verb To repress or weaken; to impair the force, keenness, or susceptibility, of
- blunt instrument noun A thing, person, method, or resource which is not sufficiently precise or not sufficiently effective for its intended role or use.
- blurry adj Not clear; lacking well-defined boundaries.
- blush verb To be shy, ashamed, or embarrassed (to do something).
- boardroom noun Corporations or corporate management considered as a section of society
- bob under verb To go under the surface or edge of something.
- bob up verb To appear or arrive unexpectedly.
- bobblehead noun A thoughtless person.
- body politic noun The collective body of a nation or state as politically organized.
- bodyguard verb To protect (someone or something).
- bodyslam verb To deliver a devastating blow against an opponent
- bog verb To prevent or slow someone or something from making progress.
- bogey noun A bugbear: any terrifying thing.
- bogeyman noun Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract, or a real threat greatly exaggerated for those purposes; often…
- boggard noun A bugbear: any terrifying thing.
- bogged down adj Stuck; mired, as in detail, difficulty; delayed or made slower.
- boiling noun A turmoil; a disturbance like that of bubbling water.
- boiling point noun The state of being heated, with high aggression.
- boldfaced adj Eggcorn of bald-faced; impudent, brazen.
- bolster verb To brace, reinforce, secure, or support.
- bolt verb To affix in a crude or unnatural manner.
- bolt-on noun An accessory that can be bolted on or otherwise attached.
- bolthole noun A hidden place of emergency refuge.
- bomb verb To attack or annoy in the manner of a bombing.
- bombard verb To attack something or someone by directing objects at them.
- bombardment noun An onslaught of criticism etc.
- bombast noun High-sounding words; language above the dignity of the occasion; a pompous or ostentatious manner of writing or speaking.
- bombproof adj Very sturdy; as if built to resist the effects of a blast from a bomb.
- bombshell noun Something that is very surprising, shocking, amazing or sensational.
- bonanza noun Anything which is a great source of wealth or yields a large income or return.
- bone noun The framework of anything.
- bone-chilling adj Causing great terror or horror; blood-curdling.
- boneless adj Lacking strength, courage, or resolve.
- boner noun An often perverse sense of enjoyment from or predilection towards something.
- bonfire noun Something like a bonfire (sense 1 or 2) in heat, destructiveness, ferocity, etc.
- book noun Any source of instruction.
- bookend verb To come before and after, or at both sides of.
- bookshelve verb To postpone or put aside (a project, etc.); to shelve.
- bookworm noun An avid book reader.
- boom verb To exclaim with force, to shout, to thunder.
- boom-boom noun A strike; an act of beating.
- boomerese noun Behavior or attitude characteristic of baby boomers.
- boondoggle noun A waste of time or money; a pointless activity.
- boot noun Oppression, an oppressor.
- boot up verb To start up, to bootstrap (any process, especially a business).
- bootlicking noun Obsequious or servile behavior.
- boots on the ground noun The state or condition of being physically present at a place of interest in order to ascertain the current situation.
- bootstrap noun A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.
- booty noun Something that has been stolen or illegally, mischievously, or greedily obtained from elsewhere.
- borborygm noun A gurgling or rumbling.
- borborygmus noun Something resembling borborygmus.
- border on verb To be almost like some other thing; to verge on.
- borderland noun An intermediate state, category, etc.
- bottle noun Intoxicating liquor; alcohol.
- bottleneck noun In traffic, any narrowing of the road, especially resulting in a delay.
- bottom noun The lowest part of a container.
- bottom feeder noun A person who operates amidst or thrives on the unwholesome things in a society; one who takes advantage of the misfortune of others.
- bottom of the barrel noun The lowest possible level of a person or thing in terms of character or quality; also, a person or thing at such a level.
- bottom-feeding adj Of a person, organization, etc., dwelling amidst or thriving on unwholesome situations or activities in society.
- bottomless pit noun An endless resource or supply.
- bough noun A gallows.
- bouillabaisse noun A chaotic, disorganized mixture; a confused hodgepodge.
- bounce around verb To switch between jobs, locations and other situations often.
- bounce off the walls verb To be brimful of agitation from excitement, indignation, or anxiety.
- boundary noun The bounds, confines, or limits between immaterial things (such as one’s comfort zone, privacy, or professional sphere and the realm…
- bounty noun An abundance or wealth.
- bourse noun Any place, real or imagined, where the value of a thing is settled.
- bovine adj Sluggish, dull, slow-witted.
- bow verb To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend or incline, figuratively; to humble or subdue.
- bowel noun The (deep) interior of something.
- bower bird noun A person who collects objects for display.
- bowl a googly verb to surprise (someone); to introduce (to someone) something unexpected, underhand or requiring a quick reaction or correction.
- bowl out verb To overcome opposition from (a person); to remove out of one's way.
- box noun A predicament or trap.
- box in verb To limit someone's freedom of thought, movement, expression, etc.
- box of tricks noun Anything used to perform a specific task or achieve a particular goal; the means or apparatus used to accomplish something.
- box out verb To arrange a situation so as to exclude (someone).
- box room noun A place where things are relegated for later use.
- box-ticking noun Completion of bureaucratic processes of little practical use.
- bracha levatala noun a waste, a pointless action