| 1. | baffle | puzzle, | amaze, | confuse, |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| clarify | elucidate, | explain, | explicate, | |
| 2. | bad | evil, | wrong, | mean, |
| good | virtuous, | right, | honourable, | |
| 3. | baleful | baneful, | harmful, | menacing, |
| advantageous | promising, | helpful, | auspicious, | |
| 4. | bamboozle | cheat, | deceive, | bluff, |
| help | support, | clarify, | decipher, | |
| 5. | barbaric | uncivilised, | coarse, | cruel, |
| cultivated | civilised, | cultured, | gracious, |
| 6. | basic | elementary, | essential, | fundamental, |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| secondary, | complementary, | inessential, | supplementary | |
| 7. | begin, | start, | commence, | initiate |
| end, | stop, | complete, | cease, | |
| 8. | beneficial, | helpful, | advantageous, | benign |
| harmful, | detrimental, | malicious, | pernicious, | |
| 9. | bizarre, | strange, | odd, | extraordinary |
| normal | commonplace, | regular, | ordinary | |
| 10. | blame, | accuse, | condemn, | reproach |
| acquit, | forgive, | excuse, | absolve |
| 11. | bless, | laud, | glorify, | sanctify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| curse, | damn, | accuse, | swear | |
| 12. | bliss, | joy, | ecstasy, | happiness |
| misery, | sorrow, | agony, | woe | |
| 13. | boffin, | expert, | ace, | whizz-kid |
| beginner, | novice, | amateur, | apprentice | |
| 14. | boring | dull, | unexciting, | commonplace |
| interesting | exciting, | fascinating, | eventful | |
| 15. | brave, | bold, | courageous, | valiant |
| cowardly, | afraid, | fearful, | craven |
| 16. | Brobdingnagian, | big, | gigantic, | enormous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lilliputian, | small, | minute | bantam | |
| 17. | bright, | shining, | radiant, | glowing |
| dark, | dim, | dull, | gloomy | |
| 18. | brutal | cruel, | vicious, | savage |
| gentle, | kind, | generous, | compassionate | |
| 19. | bumptious | brash, | arrogant, | boastful |
| humble, | modest, | unassuming, | respectful | |
| 20. | bunkum | balderdash, | baloney, | bilge |
| truth | veracity, | sense, | sensibility |
*Three types of antonyms (gradable, complementary and relational) can be distinguished. Word meanings are context-dependent.