Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense balks, present participle balking, past tense, past participle balked
verb
If you balkat something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen.
Even biology undergraduates may balk at animal experiments. [VERB + at]
Last October the bank balked, alarmed that a $24m profit had turned into a $20m deficit. [VERB]
Synonyms: recoil, resist, hesitate, dodge More Synonyms of balk
More Synonyms of balk
balk in British English
or baulk (bɔːk, bɔːlk)
verb
1. (intransitive; usually foll byat)
to stop short, esp suddenly or unexpectedly; jib
the horse balked at the jump
2. (intransitive; foll byat)
to turn away abruptly; recoil
he balked at the idea of murder
3. (transitive)
to thwart, check, disappoint, or foil
he was balked in his plans
4. (transitive)
to avoid deliberately
he balked the question
5. (transitive)
to miss unintentionally
noun
6.
a roughly squared heavy timber beam
7.
a timber tie beam of a roof
8.
an unploughed ridge to prevent soil erosion or mark a division on common land
9.
an obstacle; hindrance; disappointment
10. baseball
an illegal motion by a pitcher towards the plate or towards the base when there are runners on base, esp without delivering the ball
See also baulk
Derived forms
balker (ˈbalker) or baulker (ˈbaulker)
noun
Word origin
Old English balca; related to Old Norse bálkr partition, Old High German balco beam
balk in American English
(bɔk)
noun
1.
a ridge of unplowed land between furrows
2.
a roughly hewn piece of timber
3.
a beam used in construction
4.
something that obstructs or thwarts; check, hindrance, disappointment, etc.
5. Obsolete
a blunder; error
6. Baseball
an illegal motion by the pitcher, such as an uncompleted motion to throw to a base, while one foot is on the rubber: it entitles each base runner to advance one base
7. Billiards
any of the outer spaces between the cushions and the balkline
verb transitive
8. Obsolete
to make balks in (land)
9.
to obstruct or thwart; foil
10. Archaic
to miss or let slip by
11. Baseball
to force (a base runner to score from third base) by committing a balk
verb intransitive
12.
to stop and obstinately refuse to move or act
13.
to hesitate or recoil (at)
14.
to make a balk in baseball
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈfrusˌtrate
Derived forms
balker (ˈbalker)
noun
Word origin
ME balke < OE balca, a bank, ridge < IE *bhelg- (extended stem of *bhel-, a beam) > Ger balken, beam, Gr phalanx, L fulcrum
Examples of 'balk' in a sentence
balk
MPs may balk at an eviction notice.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The price reduction comes after investors balked at the higher valuation.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These shoppers have either remained undecided or simply balked at the price.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Some people have lost their jobs and others balked at his idea of having only two national centres.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Your husband may balk at the idea of counselling because it is not something men of his generation generally value.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But motorists balk at the idea.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You may balk at the cost of your highlights, but there are far more preposterously priced haircuts going on.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
I can understand why audiences may balk at the symmetry of the plot and the serendipity of the cast.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Some may balk at the frivolous approach to taking drugs, but few series are as vocal in their celebration of youthful individuality.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They practically balked at the idea that I might have some abnormal obstruction to recognition.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Clients balk at the price, but usually come back after shopping around, he says.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Or, if the price makes you balk, at least have afternoon tea to drink in the atmosphere.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We say I balked at the price, but what results!
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Fresh research suggests that, while people will happily put up with voluntary restrictions on movement, they balk at the idea of compulsory quarantine.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Word lists with
balk
architectural features
In other languages
balk
British English: balk VERB
If you balk at something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen.
They balked at the cost of renovations.
American English: balk
Brazilian Portuguese: empacar
Chinese: 畏缩
European Spanish: rehusar
French: regimber
German: zurückschrecken
Italian: tirarsi indietro
Japanese: しり込みする
Korean: 꺼리다
European Portuguese: mostrar relutância
Latin American Spanish: rehusar
1 (verb)
Definition
to recoil
Even biology graduates may balk at animal experiments.
Synonyms
recoil
People used to recoil from the idea of getting into debt.
resist
They resisted our attempts to modernize distribution.
hesitate
dodge
falter
evade
shy away
flinch
He has never flinched from harsh decisions.
quail
The very word makes many of us quail.
shirk
shrink
draw back
I drew back with a horrified scream.
jib
demur
At first I demurred when he asked me to do it.
Opposites
accept
,
yield
,
submit
,
comply
,
relent
,
accede
,
acquiesce
2 (verb)
Definition
to thwart, check, or foil
Synonyms
foil
A brave police chief foiled an armed robbery.
check
Today's meeting must focus on checking the spread of violence.
bar
He stepped in front of her, barring her way.
defeat
The challenges of constructing such a huge novel almost defeated her.
prevent
We took steps to prevent it happening.
These methods prevent pregnancy.
frustrate
The government has deliberately frustrated his efforts.
baffle
thwart
They were doing all they could to thwart the opposition.
hinder
Landslides are continuing to hinder the arrival of relief supplies.
obstruct
The authorities are obstructing the investigation.
counteract
Many countries within the region are planning measures to counteract a missile attack.
disconcert
forestall
They had done little to forestall the attack.
Opposites
help
,
support
,
further
,
aid
,
advance
,
promote
,
sustain
,
assist
,
abet
Additional synonyms
in the sense of baffle
Synonyms
frustrate,
check,
defeat,
upset,
foil,
thwart,
hinder,
balk
in the sense of bar
Definition
to obstruct
He stepped in front of her, barring her way.
Synonyms
block,
restrict,
hold up,
restrain,
hamper,
thwart,
hinder,
obstruct,
impede,
shut off
in the sense of check
Definition
to slow the growth or progress of
Today's meeting must focus on checking the spread of violence.