auspicious, bellicose, belligerent, benevolent, bland: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from GRE Vocabulary set 70. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. auspicious · adjective/ɔˈspɪʃ.əs/

   conducive to success; favorable

   Starting a new project during the auspicious time of the year can lead to great success.

   Synonyms: favorable, advantageous, promising

   Origin: from Latin 'auspicium' meaning 'birdwatching' or 'omen', derived from 'auspex' which means 'one who observes birds to foretell events'

2. bellicose · adjective/ˈbɛlɪkoʊs/

   demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight

   The bellicose rhetoric from the political leaders only escalated the tensions between the two nations.

   Synonyms: aggressive, combative, pugnacious

   Origin: from Latin 'bellicosus', from 'bellum' meaning 'war'

3. belligerent · adjective/bəˈlɪdʒərənt/

   engaged in or inclined to conflict or warfare

   The country's belligerent stance during the negotiations made it challenging to reach a peaceful resolution.

   Synonyms: hostile, aggressive, combative

   Origin: From Latin 'belligerans', the present participle of 'belligerare', which means 'to wage war'.

4. benevolent · adjective/bəˈnɛvələnt/

   showing kindness and goodwill

   The benevolent donor generously contributed to the local charity, helping to provide food and shelter for those in need.

   Synonyms: kind, generous, charitable

   Origin: from Latin 'benevolentem' meaning 'well wishing', from 'bene' meaning 'well' + 'velle' meaning 'to wish'

5. bland · adjective/blænd/

   lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting

   The movie was so bland that I struggled to stay awake during the entire screening.

   Synonyms: insipid, dull, unremarkable

   Origin: from Middle English 'blande', from Old French 'bland' meaning 'smooth, pleasing, gentle', from Latin 'blandus', meaning 'soft, flattering'.