buoy|an|cy /bɔ I ənsi/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Buoyancy is the ability that something has to float on a liquid or in the air. □ Air can be pumped into the diving suit to increase buoyancy.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Buoyancy is a feeling of cheerfulness. □ …a mood of buoyancy and optimism.
3 N‑UNCOUNT There is economic buoyancy when the economy is growing. □ The likelihood is that the slump will be followed by a period of buoyancy.
buoy|ant /bɔ I ənt/
1 ADJ If you are in a buoyant mood, you feel cheerful and behave in a lively way. □ You will feel more buoyant and optimistic about the future than you have for a long time.
2 ADJ A buoyant economy is a successful one in which there is a lot of trade and economic activity. □ We have a buoyant economy and unemployment is considerably lower than the regional average. □ Analysts expect the share price to remain buoyant.
3 ADJ A buoyant object floats on a liquid. □ This was such a small and buoyant boat.
bur|ble /bɜː r b ə l/ (burbles , burbling , burbled )
1 VERB If something burbles , it makes a low continuous bubbling sound. □ [V prep] The water burbled over gravel. □ [V ] The river gurgled and burbled.
2 VERB If you say that someone is burbling , you mean that they are talking in a confused way. □ [V n] He burbled something incomprehensible. □ [V + about ] Key burbled about the wonderful people who contribute to tourism. □ [V + on about ] He burbles on about freedom. [Also V that, V with quote]
bur|den ◆◇◇ /bɜː r d ə n/ (burdens , burdening , burdened )
1 N‑COUNT If you describe a problem or a responsibility as a burden , you mean that it causes someone a lot of difficulty, worry, or hard work. □ [+ of ] The developing countries bear the burden of an enormous external debt. □ Her death will be an impossible burden on Paul. □ The financial burden will be more evenly shared. [Also + on ]
2 N‑COUNT A burden is a heavy load that is difficult to carry. [FORMAL ]
3 VERB If someone burdens you with something that is likely to worry you, for example a problem or a difficult decision, they tell you about it. □ [V n + with ] We decided not to burden him with the news. [Also V n]
4 → see also beast of burden COLLOCATIONS burden NOUN 1
noun + burden : debt, tax
adjective + burden : heavy, huge, intolerable, unsustainable; administrative, economic, financial
verb + burden : impose, increase, place; bear, carry, share, shoulder; ease, lift, reduce, shift
bur|dened /bɜː r d ə nd/
1 ADJ If you are burdened with something, it causes you a lot of worry or hard work. □ [+ with ] Nicaragua was burdened with a foreign debt of $11 billion. □ [+ by ] They may be burdened by guilt and regret.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as burdened with a heavy load, you are emphasizing that it is very heavy and that they are holding it or carrying it with difficulty. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ by ] Anna and Rosemary arrived, burdened by bags and food baskets. [Also + with ]
bur|den|some /bɜː r d ə nsəm/ ADJ If you describe something as burdensome , you mean it is worrying or hard to deal with. [WRITTEN ] □ …a burdensome debt. □ The load was too burdensome.
bu|reau /bjʊə roʊ/ The usual plural in British English is bureaux . The usual plural in American English is bureaus . 1 N‑COUNT A bureau is an office, organization, or government department that collects and distributes information. □ [+ of ] …the Federal Bureau of Investigation. □ …the Citizens' Advice Bureau.
2 N‑COUNT A bureau is an office of a company or organization which has its main office in another town or country. [mainly AM , BUSINESS ] □ …the Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau.
3 N‑COUNT A bureau is a writing desk with shelves and drawers and a lid that opens to form the writing surface. [BRIT ]
4 N‑COUNT A bureau is a chest of drawers. [AM ]
bu|reau|cra|cy /bjʊrɒ krəsi/ (bureaucracies )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A bureaucracy is an administrative system operated by a large number of officials. □ State bureaucracies can tend to stifle enterprise and initiative.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bureaucracy refers to all the rules and procedures followed by government departments and similar organizations, especially when you think that these are complicated and cause long delays. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ People usually complain about having to deal with too much bureaucracy.
bu|reau|crat /bjʊə rəkræt/ (bureaucrats ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Bureaucrats are officials who work in a large administrative system. You can refer to officials as bureaucrats especially if you disapprove of them because they seem to follow rules and procedures too strictly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The economy is still controlled by bureaucrats.
bu|reau|crat|ic /bjʊə rəkræ t I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bureaucratic means involving complicated rules and procedures which can cause long delays. □ Diplomats believe that bureaucratic delays are inevitable. □ The department has become a bureaucratic nightmare.
bu|reaux /bjʊə roʊz/ Bureaux is a plural form of bureau .
bur|geon /bɜː r dʒ ə n/ (burgeons , burgeoning , burgeoned ) VERB If something burgeons , it grows or develops rapidly. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] My confidence began to burgeon later in life. □ [V -ing] …Japan's burgeoning satellite-TV industry.