French verbs beginning with B

305 verbs with English meanings. Select a verb to see its conjugation.

• babillerto chat; to babble; to natter (to talk about insignificant things); to scold
• bachoterto cram (revise hard for an exam, especially for a baccalauréat exam) (informal)
• badgerto use an identity badge
• badigeonnerto smear, slather; to whitewash
• badinerto jest, joke
• bafferto hit (on the face) (informal)
• bafouerto scorn; to flout
• bafouillerto babble, splutter, stammer
• bagarrerto scrap, to scuffle (have a physical fight); to fight (to strive for something with lots of effort)
• baguenauderto stroll, amble
• baguerto ring, tag, band (attach a tag or ring, e.g. to a bird, for tracking); to collar
• baignerto bathe (transitive); to go for a swim
• baiserhave sex (vulgar); screw someone over (vulgar); kiss (dated or literary)
• baisoterto smother with kisses; kiss to death
• baisserlower; reduce; turn down; fall
• bakéliserstrengthen with bakelite
• baladerto stroll, walk around (intransitive); to give someone the runaround (transitive); to go for a walk, to trail (reflexive)
• balafrerto scar (cause to have a scar, after injury)
• balancerswing; rock; throw away; give someone away (informal)
• balayerto sweep; to sweep aside, brush aside; to drag on the floor; to rake (sweep with gunfire)
• balbutierto stammer; to stutter
• baleinerto equip or stiffen (clothing, umbrella etc.) with whalebone
• baliserto mark with beacons; to waymark, to signpost; to prepare the ground; to tag
• balkaniserto Balkanize
• balladuriserto make balladurian
• ballasterto ballast
• ballerto swing or sway; to dangle; to dance (archaic)
• ballonnerswell, swell up, bulge
• ballotterto toss (around), to jolt (intransitive, transitive); to ballot: to vote using a ballot (archaic, intransitive, transitive)
• bambocherto feast (celebrate enthusiastically)
• banaliserto banalise; to downplay, normalize, trivialize; to dismiss something unusual and serious as commonplace
• bancariserbring people or funds into the banking system
• bancherto construct formwork; to pour concrete using formwork
• banderto bandage (transitive); to flex, tighten the muscles, strain, tauten (transitive); to have a hard-on, to get a hard-on (informal, intransitive)
• bannerto cover with a tarpaulin
• bannirto banish (transitive); to ban, to proscribe, to forbid, to prohibit (transitive)
• banquerto fork out; to pay the bill
• banqueterto banquet, feast
• baptiserto baptise; to christen
• baragouinerto gibber, jabber, garble, muddle one's words; to speak (a language) badly
• baraquerto billet (troops)
• baratinerto chat up, sweet-talk (engage in small talk in order to seduce or convince) (transitive); to bullshit (intransitive)
• baratterto churn (agitate rapidly)
• barbariserto make barbaric; violate language norms
• barberto bore someone (informal)
• barbifierto shave (someone's) beard, to barb; to bore to death
• barboterto splash; to nick, to pinch (to steal) (informal)
• barbouillerto daub; to scribble; to mark, stain, dirty; to blabber
• barderto bard; to clad (add cladding to a wall); kick off; (used to express that trouble occurs) (impersonal); to transport wood onto a boat (archaic)
• barguignerto hesitate, being unable to make a decision; to bargain, to haggle
• bariolerto paint with garish colours
• baronifierto confer the title of baron upon
• baroniserto confer the title of baron upon
• baronnerto act as a front man for a swindler; to pose as a patron to lure customers
• baroquiserto make baroque
• barrerto bar, bar up (to lock or bolt with a bar); to bar off; to cross out, strike out (put written lines through written text, to show it is erroneous); to go away, to leave, to fuck off (informal)
• barricaderto barricade (transitive)
• barrirto trumpet (to make the sound of an elephant's cry)
• basanerto tan (brown the skin) (transitive)
• basculerto topple, to tip over (intransitive); to sway from side to side (intransitive); to fall apart, to turn upside down (figurative, intransitive); to transfer (e.g. a call) (transitive)
• baserto base (have as its foundation or starting point)
• basifiermake alkaline
• bassinerto bathe with a warm liquid (transitive); to drizzle (transitive); to bore (transitive); to pester or annoy (transitive)
• bastonnerto cane; to beat with a stick; to pummel, to batter
• bataillerto battle
• batelerto conjure (do magic tricks); to juggle
• batifolerto frolic (intransitive)
• battrebeat; defeat; whisk
• baugerto wallow
• bauxitiserbecome bauxite
• bavarderto chat; to prattle (intransitive); to have a lengthy talk about something (obsolete, transitive)
• baverto drool, to slobber; to leak
• bavocherto be etched (intransitive)
• bayerto have one's mouth wide open, to gape (archaic)
• bazarderto sell or sell off (transitive); to chuck out (transitive)
• becqueterto peck (at) (transitive); to eat, nosh, chow down (slang); to peck (kiss)
• becterto eat (informal)
• bedonnerto have a plump stomach, to be paunchy
• benchmarkerbenchmark; compare performance against a standard
• bercerto cradle; to rock
• berginiserto produce hydrocarbons from coal by the Bergius process
• bernerto trick, to fool, to take in, to run circles around, to hoodwink (transitive)
• besognerto toil, drudge, slave away (intransitive)
• bessemeriserto Bessemerize steel
• bestialiserto bestialize
• beuglerto moo (intransitive); to cry out; to shout (figurative, intransitive)
• beurrerto butter, to rub with butter; to get dirty, to soil smth. (or oneself, with se); to exaggerate, to try too hard (transitive)
• biaiserto slant (to bias or skew); to go around, work around
• biberonnerto bottle feed; to booze
• bicherto go well (intransitive); to be happy; to rejoice (intransitive); to pick up, to flirt (intransitive)
• bichonnerto attend to a person's appearance and clothing; groom, titivate (transitive); to groom oneself, primp (informal)
• bidonnerto fabricate, to make up (a story); to laugh a lot (informal, reflexive)
• bidouillerto fiddle (with);to tamper (with) (informal, transitive); to hack; to kludge out (informal)
• bifferto cross out, strike through (transitive); to cancel, annul (transitive)
• bifurquerto bifurcate (split in two); to change direction (without necessarily splitting)
• bigarrerto variegate, to produce a colourful pattern
• biglerto squint, be cross-eyed (intransitive); to glance (at) (slang, transitive)
• bigornerto forge (work metal on an anvil); to hit vigorously; to murder
• bilinguiserto make bilingual
• binerto hoe; to binate, celebrate mass twice in one day
• bipolariserto make bipolar
• birmanisergive a Burmese character to
• biscuiterto bake unglazed earthenware (biscuit)
• biseauterto bevel (transitive)
• biserto kiss (informal)
• bisquerto be scornful; to be moody
• bisserto repeat; to perform an encore (transitive); to request a repeat; to call for an encore, to encore (transitive); to repeat a year at school (transitive)
• bistournerto twist, deform; castrate by twisting the spermatic cord; castrate
• bistrerto darken, blacken; to be mesmerized
• biterto understand, usually used in negative form and especially with rien (slang, transitive); to humiliate, con, dupe, deceive
• bitterto understand, usually used in negative form and especially with rien (slang, transitive)
• bitumerto asphalt (transitive)
• bituminerto bituminize
• bituminiserto bituminize
• bivouaquerto bivouac
• bizuterto haze (subject to an initiation)
• blackboulerto blackball (transitive)
• blaguerto joke, to joke about
• blairerto stand, to stand the sight of (slang, transitive)
• blanchirto launder, wash; to make white; to whiten; to grow or become white; to blanch or bleach
• blaserto blunt, dull
• blasonnerto blazon (transitive)
• blasphémerto blaspheme
• blastercrush or destroy an enemy; fire a laser weapon
• blatérerto bleat (of a sheep, to make a sound); to bray (of a camel, to make a sound)
• blesserinjure; wound; hurt someone’s feelings
• blettirto overripen, to blet
• bleuirto make blue, turn blue (transitive); to turn blue, go blue (intransitive)
• bleuterplay truant, skip class
• blinderto armor; to reinforce
• blondirto dye blond; to brown (cook slightly to give some color)
• bloquerblock; obstruct; jam; freeze prices or an account
• blouserto bilk; to con (transitive); to blouse, to billow like a blouse (intransitive); to transfer into the billiards hole (blouse) (transitive)
• blufferto bluff; to surprise
• bluterto sift, to sieve, especially the flour from the bran
• blâmercriticize, pass censure on; reprimand
• bléserto lisp
• blêmirto whiten; to become pale; to blanch
• bobinerto wind onto a bobbin (transitive)
• bocarderTo grind with a stamp mill
• boiredrink
• boiserto panel (a room with wooden panels) (transitive); to afforest (transitive); to hit the ball with the frame (wood) of the racket (transitive)
• boiterto limp (to walk lamely, as if favouring one leg)
• boitillerto hobble; to limp slightly (intransitive)
• bolcheviserto bolshevize
• bolchéviserto make Bolshevik; to subject to a Bolshevik regime
• bombarderto shell, blitz
• bomberto bulge (intransitive, reflexive); to cower, to bend (figurative); to move, walk quickly (informal); to spray paint (especially of taggers or graffiti artists) (informal)
• bonderto fill up
• bondirto bounce, spring, jump
• bondérisercoat metal with a protective phosphate layer
• bonifierto improve
• bonimenterTo patter; to give a sales pitch (informal, reflexive)
• boosterto boost (informal)
• borderto border (add a border to); to border (share a border with); to tuck in
• bordéliserto make a mess; to disrupt
• bornerto limit, confine; to confine oneself (à faire to doing something); to content oneself
• bornoyersight along a line with one eye to check straightness; align surveying markers
• bosselerto emboss (transitive)
• bosserwork; study; slog away (informal)
• bossuerTo make lumpy or bumpy (archaic, informal)
• bostonnerto dance the Boston
• botaniserto botanize
• bottelerTo sheaf; to bundle
• botterto kick; to please, to like (slang)
• bouboulerto hoot (to make the cry of an owl) (intransitive)
• boucanerto smoke meat
• boucharderwork stone or concrete with a bush hammer; smear someone’s face
• boucherto cork up; to bung; to block up
• bouchonnerto rub down (transitive); for the traffic to come to a standstill, for there to be a traffic jam (intransitive)
• bouclerto buckle (to fasten) (transitive); to curl (make curly) (transitive); to tie up, to finish up (e.g. an affair or case) (figurative, transitive); to shut (informal, transitive)
• bouderto sulk, pout; to frown upon, to be discontented with (transitive)
• boudinerto contort into the shape of a sausage (transitive)
• boufferto eat (informal, intransitive, transitive); to eat, to worry (informal, figurative, transitive); to consume in excess (informal, transitive); to bash (criticise harshly) (informal, transitive)
• bouffirto cause to become swollen or puffy; to puff up
• bouffonnerto joke
• bougermove; stir; budge
• bougonnerto grumble (complain) (intransitive); to sulk (intransitive)
• bouillirto boil (becoming boiling; reach boiling point) (intransitive); to boil (cause to boil) (transitive); to seethe (figurative)
• bouillonnerto bubble; to froth; to seethe; to get angry
• bouillotterto simmer (intransitive)
• boulangerTo prepare and bake bread (rare)
• boulerto inflate, swell up (intransitive)
• bouleverserto completely and drastically change, to overturn; to shake, to cause a strong emotion; to disorganize, to turn upside down
• boulonnerto bolt (on) (transitive); to work hard (intransitive)
• boulotterto eat, to consume (informal)
• boumerTo go great; to go swimmingly (dated, informal)
• bouquinerto read constantly (for pleasure)
• bourderto lie; to hit
• bourdonnerto buzz, drone
• bourgeonnerto bud (of plant, to sprout buds); to granulate; to have pimples, spots
• bourlinguerto tack against the wind (intransitive); to roam, get about (intransitive)
• bourrelerto form ridges; to torment
• bourrerto stuff with stuffing material (transitive); to completely fill by shoving in (transitive); to make to eat a lot (transitive); to force-feed (transitive)
• bourriquerto report to the police; to have sex (vulgar); to compute (computing)
• boursicoterto set money aside (intransitive); to dabble on the stock market (intransitive)
• boursouflerto swell, inflate (transitive); to become swollen or bloated; to blister (reflexive)
• bousculerto shove, to bump into, to jostle
• bousillerto wreck, smash up (informal); to botch, screw up (informal); to kill (informal); to do work in bousillage
• bouterto push (dated); to remove flesh from the skin of an animal (dated); to pin, to nail (dated)
• boutonnerto button (to fasten with a button)
• bouturerto stick (propagate plants by cuttings)
• bowaliserturn into an eroded lateritic plateau
• boxerto box (to fight against (a person) in a boxing match)
• boycotterto boycott
• brachycéphalisermake the skull shorter and broader
• braconnerto poach (hunt clandestinely)
• braderto sell at cut-price, to sell in a sale; to sell off; to sell down the river
• braillerto holler, yell; to bawl, weep
• brairebray (to make the cry of a donkey); to shout (figurative); to cry, to weep (figurative)
• braiserto braise
• bramerto bellow; to troat (make the cry of a deer)
• brancherto connect, plug in (appliance); to branch; to branch off, to turn (of a road); to chat up (informal)
• brandirto brandish (a weapon)
• branlerto shake (transitive); to do (some work) (transitive, vulgar); to do (slang, transitive, vulgar); to masturbate (another person) (slang, transitive, vulgar)
• braquerto point (a gun, camera etc.); to turn (one’s eyes); to make a hard turn, turn hard; to stick up, rob (a bank) (informal)
• braserto weld or braze (transitive)
• brasillerTo glimmer (intransitive)
• brasserto brew (beer); to intermingle
• braverto challenge, defy (transitive); to brave (transitive); to flout, pay no heed to (someone's opinion, hostility, etc.) (transitive)
• bredouillerto stammer, to mumble
• brettelerdress stone or plaster with a toothed tool
• bretterto pick quarrels, to pick fights (intransitive)
• breveterto patent (transitive)
• bricolerto do DIY (intransitive); to tinker (to fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it) (transitive)
• briderto bridle; bridle up (attach a bridle to); to curb; control; put on a leash; to truss (in cooking, to put string around meat, so it keeps its shape when cooking); to choke (be too tight)
• bridgerto play bridge (the card game) (intransitive)
• brifferto eat greedily
• briguerto crave, to have one's eyes on (transitive)
• brillantercut a diamond in a brilliant cut; decorate with glittering details; make brighter
• brillantinerto brilliantine (to apply brilliantine to the hair)
• brillerto shine, to sparkle (intransitive)
• brimbalerto sound, ring, chime, ding (transitive); to ring, sound, chime (intransitive); to rattle (transitive); to rattle along, rattle about (move, making a rattling or jolting sound) (intransitive)
• brimerto bully; to mistreat (transitive)
• bringuebalerto sound, ring, chime, ding (transitive); to ring, sound, chime (intransitive); to rattle (transitive); to rattle along, rattle about (move, making a rattling or jolting sound) (intransitive)
• brinquebalerto sound, ring, chime, ding (transitive); to ring, sound, chime (intransitive); to rattle (transitive); to rattle along, rattle about (move, making a rattling or jolting sound) (intransitive)
• briquerto scrub, polish (transitive)
• briqueterto brick up
• briserbreak; shatter; snap
• britanniserto make British
• brocanterto trade at a jumble sale or flea market
• brocarderto mock, ridicule (transitive)
• brocherto stitch, sew (together) (transitive); to brocade (transitive)
• broderto embroider
• broncherto stumble; to flinch; to budge (informal)
• bronzerto bronze (plate with bronze) (transitive); to tan, bronze (reflexive, transitive); to tan, bronze, catch a tan (intransitive)
• brosserto brush (to clean/tidy/shape with a brush) (transitive); to whip, to beat (to defeat) (transitive); to play truant, to skip class (informal)
• brouetterto wheelbarrow (transport something in a wheelbarrow)
• brouillasserTo drizzle (impersonal, intransitive)
• brouillerto blur; to mix up, confuse; to scramble (an egg); to set at odds, put (someone) off (something)
• brouillonnerTo jot down; to write in rough
• brouterto graze; to browse; to perform cunnilingus (slang)
• broyerto crush, grind; to crush in a fight (figurative, slang); to outpower (slang)
• bruinerto drizzle (impersonal)
• bruireto make a low noise; to rustle; to rattle; to roar
• bruisserto make a low noise; to rustle; to rattle; to roar
• bruiterto make noise; to do the sound effects, produce foley
• brumasserbe foggy (of the weather)
• brumerto fog, to be foggy (impersonal)
• brumiserspray a fine mist
• brunirto brown (to become brown); to burnish (to polish gold or silver etc)
• brusquerto rush (an operation) (transitive); to browbeat (transitive)
• brutaliserto ill-treat, brutalise (transitive)
• brélerto bind with ropes
• brésillerto dye red with brazilwood; to break into small pieces; to shatter
• brûlerburn; scorch; be very hot
• bucoliserlive a bucolic life; view bucolically
• budgéterto budget
• budgétiserto budget (for) (transitive)
• bulgariserto Bulgarize
• bureaucratiserto bureaucratize
• burinerto chisel (transitive)
• busquerto busk (dress); to seek, prowl; filch, busk
• buterto stop dead; to prop up, buttress; to kill (informal); to obsess; to become obsessed (figurative)
• butinerto gather pollen, gather nectar (intransitive); to gather (pollen) (transitive); to glean, pick up (ideas, concepts etc.) (figurative, transitive); to surf the internet, to browse (informal, intransitive)
• butterto heap
• buvoterdrink in small sips
• byzantiniserto give a Byzantine character to; to nitpick over details
• bâcherto cover with a canvas or tarpaulin
• bâclerto bang out (a task), to botch (transitive)
• bâfrerto guzzle, gobble; to binge, pig out (informal); to gobble down, wolf down (to eat quickly and greedily) (informal, reflexive)
• bâillerto yawn
• bâillonnerto gag; to muzzle; to silence (figurative)
• bâterto put on a packsaddle (transitive)
• bâtirto build; to construct; to build up
• bâtonnerto club (strike with a club)
• béatifierto beatify
• bécoterto kiss; besmooch (informal)
• béerto gape, yawn; to be wide open
• bégayerto stammer
• bégueterto bleat
• bémoliserto flatten; to soften
• bénirbless
• bénéficierto enjoy, to benefit from, to get, to receive; to benefit to
• béquillerto walk with the aid of crutches; to lower the kickstand of a motorcycle; to prop up a motorcycle on its kickstand
• bétonnerto concrete (cover with concrete) (transitive)
• bêcherto dig (with a spade); to badmouth, to slander (dated)
• bêcheveterto upend (turn upside-down); to place head-to-toe, head-to-tail
• bêlerto baa; to bleat (make cry of sheep)
• bêtifierto act childishly; to be brutalized
• bêtiserto talk nonsense
• bûcherto hew; to slug away, to hit the books (informal)
• se bilerto worry (pour) about (informal, reflexive)
• se blottirto snuggle, to huddle
• se boyauterto crouch with laughter